According to data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), India’s peak power demand touched 260 GW on June 10 — surpassing the previous record of 250 GW set in May 2025. The surge, driven primarily by the massive increase in air conditioning, cooler, and refrigeration usage across the Hindi heartland, forced grid operators to activate emergency protocols, including the import of power from surplus states and the restart of mothballed thermal power plants.

The Heatwave Situation

The current heatwave, which has been building since late May, is among the most severe India has experienced in recent years. The IMD classifies a heatwave when the maximum temperature exceeds 40°C in plains areas and departs from normal by 4.5°C or more. Large swathes of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and the national capital region have been under heatwave conditions for over a week.

Delhi, which recorded a temperature of 48.4°C in parts of the city in June 2024 — one of the highest ever recorded in the capital — is again bracing for extreme heat. The IMD’s orange alert for June 11 warns of maximum temperatures reaching 45-47°C in south and west Delhi, with the “real feel” temperature — factoring in humidity — potentially exceeding 50°C. The alert advises residents to avoid outdoor activity between 11 AM and 4 PM, stay hydrated, and watch for signs of heat stroke.

Other cities reporting dangerously high temperatures include Phalodi in Rajasthan (49.2°C), Churu (48.5°C), Banda in Uttar Pradesh (47.8°C), and Bhopal (46.3°C). The extreme heat has claimed at least 23 lives across northern India in the past week, according to state health department reports, with hundreds more hospitalised for heat-related illnesses.

Power Grid Under Pressure

The record power demand has exposed vulnerabilities in India’s electricity infrastructure. While the country has made significant progress in expanding generation capacity — including a rapid buildout of solar and wind energy — the grid’s ability to manage peak demand during extreme weather events remains a challenge.

The Power Ministry reported that some states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, experienced power cuts lasting 2-4 hours during peak afternoon and evening hours as demand outstripped local supply. Industrial consumers in several states were asked to reduce consumption during peak hours to prevent grid failures.

The situation is compounded by the global energy crisis triggered by the US-Iran war. Coal, which still accounts for approximately 55% of India’s electricity generation, has seen prices rise due to disrupted global supply chains. Natural gas prices have also spiked, making gas-fired power plants more expensive to operate. The rising cost of fossil fuels is pushing up the overall cost of power generation, squeezing state electricity boards that are already financially strained.

The Urbanisation Factor

Experts point out that India’s record power demand is not solely a weather phenomenon — it is also driven by rapid urbanisation and rising living standards. As more Indians move to cities, buy air conditioners, and shift to energy-intensive lifestyles, the baseline electricity demand is growing structurally. The penetration of air conditioning in India has risen from 7% of households in 2019 to an estimated 15% in 2026, and is projected to reach 40% by 2040.

“India is going through the same transition that China went through 15-20 years ago,” said Ajay Shankar, former Secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy. “When hundreds of millions of people switch on air conditioners for the first time, the impact on the power grid is enormous. We need to plan for this structural shift, not just manage crisis-to-crisis.”

The government has responded with both short-term and long-term measures. In the short term, the Power Ministry has directed all thermal power plants to operate at maximum capacity, extended coal import contracts, and activated interstate power trading mechanisms to transfer surplus from southern and eastern states to the deficit north and west.

Long-Term Solutions

In the longer term, India’s strategy centres on expanding renewable energy capacity, improving energy efficiency, and upgrading the grid to handle variable demand. The country has set a target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030, with solar energy playing the dominant role. Battery storage systems, which can store solar power generated during the day for use during evening peak hours, are being deployed at an accelerating pace.

Smart grid technologies, demand-side management programmes, and energy-efficient building codes are also part of the solution. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has mandated star ratings for air conditioners and is promoting inverter technology, which can reduce AC power consumption by 30-50% compared to conventional units.

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But for the millions of Indians suffering through today’s heatwave — especially the urban poor who lack access to air conditioning, and outdoor workers who cannot avoid the sun — long-term solutions offer little comfort. The immediate need is for effective heat action plans, public cooling centres, and emergency medical services to prevent the deadly toll that extreme heat exacts on vulnerable populations every summer.

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The situation shows no signs of abating. IMD has warned that intense heat conditions are likely to continue for at least another four to five days across a vast swathe of the country, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Telangana. Maximum temperatures have been frequently exceeding 45°C in many areas, with Banda in Uttar Pradesh and Brahmpuri in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region recording the country’s highest maximum temperature at a scorching 47.6°C on Monday.

Night-Time Heat: A Growing Health Concern

While daytime temperatures above 45°C grab headlines, experts say it is the persistently high night-time temperatures that pose the greatest health risk. When minimum temperatures remain above 30°C, the human body gets little opportunity to cool down during sleep, leading to heat stress, dehydration, and in extreme cases, heat stroke and organ failure.

“The minimum temperature not dropping below 32 degrees is extremely worrying from a public health perspective,” said Dr. Poornima Prabhakaran, Director of the Centre for Environmental Health at the Public Health Foundation of India. “The body needs a recovery period at night. When that doesn’t happen, the cumulative heat stress can be fatal, particularly for the elderly, outdoor workers, and those without access to cooling.”

Delhi’s previous record for the warmest May night was 33.2°C, recorded on May 22, 2012. While Sunday’s reading didn’t break that absolute record, it is the highest nighttime temperature recorded in the city since then, and meteorologists warn that the current conditions could push readings even higher in the coming days.

Daytime Extremes Across the Country

The daytime situation is equally alarming. Delhi’s Safdarjung weather station recorded a maximum of 43.6°C on May 24 — making it the hottest May day in the city in two years. But Delhi’s temperatures pale in comparison to what other parts of the country have been experiencing:

• Uttar Pradesh: Banda recorded 47.6°C, with several other cities including Jhansi (47.2°C), Prayagraj (46.8°C), and Varanasi (46.4°C) experiencing extreme heat.
• Maharashtra: Brahmpuri in Vidarbha matched Banda at 47.6°C, while Akola, Chandrapur, and Nagpur all crossed 46°C.
• Rajasthan: Churu (47.1°C), Ganganagar (46.9°C), and Bikaner (46.5°C) continued to bake under the desert sun.
• Madhya Pradesh: Khajuraho (46.3°C), Nowgong (46.1°C), and Gwalior (45.8°C) reported temperatures well above normal.

Power Grid Under Unprecedented Strain

The relentless heat has driven India’s power consumption to record levels. Peak electricity demand has repeatedly broken records throughout May, driven not only by daytime cooling needs but increasingly by nighttime air conditioning usage as temperatures refuse to drop. India set a new all-time peak power demand record earlier this month, and grid operators have warned of potential shortfalls if conditions persist.

“Higher heat means increased power consumption, and India has seen demand driven to repeated records, not only during the day but at night, resulting in occasional shortfalls,” noted a report from Business Standard. The situation has been exacerbated by the Iran conflict’s impact on global energy prices, which has raised the cost of imported coal and natural gas used in power generation.

Several states have reported power cuts ranging from two to six hours daily, with rural areas bearing the brunt of load shedding. In Uttar Pradesh, where temperatures have been among the highest in the country, farmer unions have demanded uninterrupted power supply for irrigation, warning that the heat could devastate the kharif sowing season if crops don’t receive adequate water.

El Niño and Climate Change: The Underlying Drivers

Climate scientists point to a combination of El Niño conditions and long-term climate change as the primary drivers behind this year’s exceptional heat. While the current El Niño event is weakening, its residual warming effect on sea surface temperatures continues to amplify heat extremes over the Indian subcontinent.

“What we’re seeing is consistent with climate projections for South Asia,” said Dr. Roxy Mathew Koll, a senior scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. “Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting. The combination of El Niño and background warming from greenhouse gas emissions is creating conditions that would have been considered extraordinary just a decade ago.”

A recent study published in Nature Climate Change found that heatwave events in India have increased in frequency by 30% over the past two decades, with the average duration of each event also rising. The study warned that without significant greenhouse gas emission reductions, such extreme heat events could become the norm rather than the exception by mid-century.

Impact on Agriculture and Livelihoods

The heatwave’s impact extends far beyond personal discomfort. Maharashtra’s famed Alphonso mango trade has been devastated, with officials reporting that hotter weather has ruined this year’s crop of the variety known as the “King of Mangoes.” The combined effect of heat, El Niño, and the disruption caused by the Iran war has battered the mango trade across the state.

Wheat procurement in Punjab and Haryana has also been affected, with early maturation due to heat reducing grain quality and yields. Animal husbandry experts have warned of increased mortality among livestock, particularly in Rajasthan and Gujarat, where water sources are rapidly drying up.

Government Response and Advisories

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued heat action plans across affected states, urging citizens to stay indoors between 11 AM and 4 PM, maintain hydration, and avoid strenuous outdoor activity. Several state governments have modified school timings, with classes beginning and ending earlier to avoid peak heat hours.

Delhi Chief Minister has announced the opening of 500 additional “cooling shelters” across the city, equipped with water coolers and fans, to provide relief for the homeless and outdoor workers. Similar measures have been announced in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

As India braces for several more days of punishing heat, the current crisis serves as a stark reminder of the country’s vulnerability to climate extremes — and the urgent need for long-term adaptation strategies that go beyond short-term crisis management.

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A punishing heatwave tightened its grip on northern and central India this week as the national capital Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 43.4 degrees Celsius on 19 May 2026, marking the hottest May day in the city in two years. Several parts of Delhi exceeded 44 degrees Celsius on the same day, with the India Meteorological Department issuing yellow, orange, and red heat warnings across multiple states as temperatures climbed well above normal levels for this time of year.

The Safdarjung observatory, which serves as Delhi’s primary weather recording station, registered the 43.4 degree reading that officially confirmed the record. Other monitoring stations across the National Capital Region reported even higher readings, with parts of Najafgarh, Mungeshpur, and Narela approaching the 45-degree mark. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to indicate the perceived temperature, made conditions feel significantly worse than the raw thermometer readings suggest.

The heatwave extends far beyond Delhi. States across northern India including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Odisha are all experiencing prolonged periods of extreme heat. The highest maximum temperature recorded anywhere in the country last week was a staggering 46 degrees Celsius in Akola, Maharashtra, a reading that places the city among the hottest locations on the planet during that period. Reports indicate that all 22 of the world’s hottest cities during the peak of the heatwave were in India, an extraordinary statistic that underscores the severity of the crisis.

Power Demand Hits All-Time National Record

The scorching temperatures have driven India’s electricity demand to unprecedented levels as millions of air conditioners, coolers, and fans operate at maximum capacity. The national power grid recorded its highest-ever instantaneous demand, surpassing the previous record set during last year’s summer peak. The Power Ministry reported that all-India peak electricity demand crossed 250 gigawatts, a figure that would have been considered unimaginable just a decade ago.

The strain on the electricity grid has been particularly acute in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi, where the combination of large populations, limited local generation capacity, and extreme cooling demand has created supply-demand mismatches. While India has significantly expanded its generation capacity in recent years, including a massive build-out of solar and wind installations, the transmission infrastructure required to move power from surplus to deficit regions has not kept pace with demand growth.

Coal-fired power plants across the country are running at maximum capacity, and the government has directed Coal India Limited to prioritise supplies to thermal power stations. Several plants that were scheduled for maintenance shutdowns have been asked to postpone their outages until the heatwave subsides. The Power Ministry has also activated emergency procurement protocols that allow state distribution companies to purchase power on the spot market at higher-than-normal rates to prevent shortfalls from translating into blackouts.

Health Impact and Government Response

Health authorities across affected states have issued advisories urging people to stay indoors during peak afternoon hours, stay hydrated, and avoid strenuous outdoor activities. Hospitals in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra have reported increases in heat-related admissions, including cases of heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and dehydration. Vulnerable populations, including outdoor workers, the elderly, young children, and people with pre-existing health conditions, face the greatest risks.

State governments have implemented various emergency measures. Delhi has ordered schools to shift to online-only classes for the remainder of May and restricted construction work during afternoon hours. Uttar Pradesh has deployed additional medical teams to rural areas and set up heat relief camps with drinking water and oral rehydration solutions. Rajasthan has opened public buildings and temples as cooling centres for people without access to air conditioning.

The National Disaster Management Authority has been coordinating a multi-state response, sharing best practices from its Heat Action Plan framework that was developed after the devastating heatwaves of 2015 and 2023. The framework includes colour-coded warning systems, public awareness campaigns, and protocols for hospitals and emergency services. While these measures have helped reduce heat-related mortality compared to the catastrophic events of previous decades, the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves poses a growing challenge to public health infrastructure.

Climate Change and India’s Warming Trend

Climate scientists have noted that the current heatwave fits a broader pattern of increasing extreme heat events across South Asia that is consistent with climate change projections. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology has documented a statistically significant increase in the frequency, duration, and intensity of heatwaves over the Indian subcontinent during the past three decades. Spring and early summer temperatures have been trending upward, and the onset of extreme heat has been occurring earlier in the year.

Research published by international climate agencies indicates that the probability of heatwaves as intense as the current event has approximately doubled compared to pre-industrial climate conditions. While natural variability plays a role in any individual weather event, the underlying warming trend driven by greenhouse gas emissions is making extreme heat events both more likely and more severe. India, as one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations with over 1.4 billion people and vast populations engaged in outdoor agricultural and industrial work, faces disproportionate risks.

The IMD has forecast that the heatwave conditions will persist across northern and central India through at least the end of May, with daily highs remaining in the 40 to 45 degree range across the worst-affected regions. Some relief may arrive with the advance of the southwest monsoon, which typically reaches the southern coast of Kerala by late May or early June and progressively covers the rest of the country through July. However, the monsoon’s arrival date varies year to year, and any delay would extend the heatwave’s duration.

Looking Ahead: Monsoon Relief and Long-Term Adaptation

The immediate focus for government agencies and public health authorities is managing the current crisis and preventing heat-related casualties. But the recurring nature of extreme heatwaves is driving longer-term discussions about urban planning, building standards, green infrastructure, and energy policy. Cities like Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Nagpur are developing urban heat island mitigation strategies that include increasing tree cover, using reflective building materials, and creating cool roof programmes for low-income housing.

Energy planners are also grappling with the implications of rising cooling demand for India’s grid and climate goals. Air conditioning penetration in India remains below 10 per cent, compared to over 90 per cent in countries like the United States and Japan. As incomes rise and heatwaves intensify, the demand for cooling is projected to grow exponentially, creating both an enormous energy challenge and a potential feedback loop where more cooling drives more emissions, which in turn drives more warming. Transitioning to energy-efficient cooling technologies and scaling up renewable energy generation are critical priorities for India’s climate and development agenda.

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