New Delhi: The Indian government announced on Saturday that a reported record temperature of 52.9 degrees Celsius (127.22 Fahrenheit) for New Delhi last week was inaccurate by 3 degrees Celsius due to a weather sensor error. This correction follows an investigation by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) into Wednesday’s reading from the weather station at Mungeshpur, a densely populated area of Delhi.
Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that the IMD investigated Wednesday’s reading by the weather station at Mungeshpur and found a 3°C sensor error. He assured the public that “corrective measures are now in place,” sharing these findings on social media platform X. However, he did not provide a corrected temperature figure for that day.
The IMD confirmed in a statement that the maximum temperature reported by the Mungeshpur weather station was incorrect due to a malfunctioning sensor. Despite this error, it appears that the city’s heat record was still broken. Two other weather stations in the capital reported temperatures of 49 degrees Celsius (120.2 Fahrenheit) and 49.1 degrees Celsius (120.38 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday. The IMD checked these stations and reported no sensor errors.
According to the IMD’s draft report, the previous highest temperature recorded in New Delhi was 48.4 degrees Celsius (119.12 Fahrenheit) in May 1998.
Severe heat has been affecting parts of India for several days. On Friday, at least 33 people, including election officials on duty, died of suspected heatstroke in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, as well as in the eastern state of Odisha.
