Power demand peaks as Capital 'feels like' 50°C

A maximum temperature hovering close to 45 degrees Celsius (°C) in parts of city, coupled with uncomfortably warm winds, and humidity meant that Delhi residents felt the onslaught of the heat even stronger than it actually was, with the “real feel” soaring to around 50°C on Tuesday, pushing the city’s power demand to the year’s highest.

While at Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, the maximum temperature stood at 41.8°C hot winds of over 30kmph and a relative humidity of 37% meant that the impact of heat was exacerbated. This meant that the Heat Index (HI), known colloquially as “real feel” temperature, actually stood at around 50°C at 2.30pm, according toHT’s calculation, which employed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) calculator to find out heat index based on relative humidity and temperature.

As a result, the city’s power demand shot up to more than 7,000MW for the first time this year, according to State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) data.

Similar weather conditions are likely to persist on Wednesday, according to the weather office. Relief is, however, expected from Thursday onwards, with light rain likely on Thursday and Friday under the influence of Cyclone Biparjoy, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).