Mercury soars in Delhi, IMD warns of heatwave conditions

The Met office has warned that the high temperatures in the 44C range could remain for at least a few more days.

New Delhi: The National Capital Region (NCR) is on the cusp of an intense heatwave condition with Tuesday's temperature in Delhi's Palam reaching the 46C mark. And there is no relief in sight.

The Met office has warned that the heatwave conditions in Delhi are likely in the next few days and that the mercury would settle around the 44C mark for most parts of the week. Locals have been advised to avoid going out in the heat unless absolutely necessary. The peak time between noon and 1500hrs is especially harsh on the body and medical experts have urged people to wear light-coloured clothes, drink plenty of water, avoid food cooked outside and eat light.

While the month of May usually sees high temperatures, Tuesday's reading was a two-year high.

Several parts of northern India - including Rajasthan, Haryana, parts of Western Uttar Pradesh and some parts of Madhya Pradesh are currently experiencing high temperatures. The situation is even more grim in neighbouring Pakistan where load shedding spanning several hours in several cities has made lives of locals miserable.