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Delhi sizzles as mercury hits 42.8°C, hottest April day in four years
Delhi recorded 42.8°C at Safdarjung on April 25, 2026, marking the hottest April day in four years and the third consecutive heatwave day in the city. Four stations reported heatwave conditions, an orange alert was issued, and forecasts suggested a gradual easing after April 28 with chances of light rain later in the week; air quality remained poor.
Why It Matters
Prolonged heat and poor air quality pose health risks and disrupt daily life; officials expect heat to persist into the weekend with limited relief and advise caution.
Timeline
20 Events
April 25, 2026: minimum temperature and air quality
April 25, 2026
Saturday's minimum temperature was 25.2°C; AQI stood at 243 (poor) and was likely to stay poor till Monday, possibly improving to moderate from Tuesday.
April 25, 2026: forecast for Sunday to Wednesday
April 25, 2026
Forecasts suggested Sunday maximums around 43-45°C with potential abatement from April 28, and a chance of light rain on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
April 25, 2026: IMD orange alert and winds
April 25, 2026
IMD issued an orange alert for heatwave conditions at isolated places, with strong surface winds of up to 35 kmph during the day.
April 25, 2026: hottest April day; heatwave across four stations
April 25, 2026
Safdarjung recorded 42.8°C, Ridge 44.5°C, Lodhi Road 42.6°C, and Ayanagar 43.2°C, making it the hottest April day in four years and Safdarjung's first heatwave day of the season.
April 24, 2026: Ridge and Lodhi Road heatwave
April 24, 2026
Ridge and Lodhi Road met heatwave criteria on Friday, Apr 24, 2026.
April 23, 2026: Ridge records heatwave threshold
April 23, 2026
Ridge station met the heatwave threshold on Thursday, Apr 23, 2026.
April 18, 2026: 12 mm rainfall brings brief relief
April 18, 2026
A spell of rainfall of about 12 mm provided brief relief, pulling temperatures below 40°C.
April 16, 2026: Safdarjung crosses 40°C
April 16, 2026
Safdarjung base station recorded 40°C for the first time this year.
April 9, 2026: temperatures begin to rise
April 9, 2026
After rainfall activity ceased, temperatures began rising.
April 8, 2026: day temperatures stay below 30°C
April 8, 2026
Day temperatures stayed under 30°C on April 8, 2026.
April 7, 2026: day temperatures stay below 30°C
April 7, 2026
Day temperatures stayed under 30°C on April 7, 2026.
March 2026: second-half cooler due to western disturbances
March 2026
The season's second half of March remained relatively cooler as western disturbances brought light rain and cloud cover.
April 26, 2025: 42.1°C in April
April 26, 2025
IMD data shows the highest April maximum temperatures in recent years were 42.1°C on April 26, 2025.
April 2025: three heatwave days
April 2025
In 2025, three heatwave days were logged in the second week of April.
April 27, 2024: 40.5°C
April 27, 2024
Highest April maximum in 2024 was 40.5°C on April 27, 2024.
April 2024: no heatwave days
April 2024
No heatwave day was recorded in April 2024.
April 18, 2023: 40.6°C
April 18, 2023
Safdarjung recorded 40.6°C on April 18, 2023.
April 2023: no heatwave days
April 2023
No heatwave day was recorded in April 2023.
April 30, 2022: historical comparison
April 30, 2022
The last time April saw a temperature crossing this level was April 30, 2022, when Safdarjung recorded 43.5°C.
2022: 11 heatwave days in April
2022
In 2022, Delhi witnessed its most intense April heatwave spell with 11 heatwave days.