'Delhi's record 52.9 Celsius temperature was a sensor error'

A record temperature of 52.9 degrees Celsius (127.22 Fahrenheit) reported for New Delhi was too high by 3 C, the Indian government said on Saturday, attributing it to a weather sensor error.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) investigated the reading from the weather station at Mungeshpur, a densely packed area of Delhi, and found a 3°C sensor error, earth sciences minister Kiren Rijiju stated.

"Corrective measures are now in place," the minister said, sharing the conclusion of a draft report about the all-time high reading on social media platform X. He did not provide a corrected figure for the temperature.

The IMD confirmed that the maximum temperature reported by the Mungeshpur weather station was incorrect due to a sensor malfunction.

Despite this, the city's heat record still seems to have been broken. Two other weather stations in the capital reported temperatures of 49 C (120.2 F) and 49.1 C (120.38 F) on Wednesday. The IMD verified these stations and found no sensor errors.

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The previous highest temperature recorded in New Delhi was 48.4 C (119.12 F) in May 1998, according to the draft IMD report.

Severe heat has affected parts of India for days. At least 33 people, including election officials on duty, died of suspected heatstroke in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar in the north, and Odisha in the east on Friday.

(Reuters)