Number Theory: How bad is the current heatwave?

The short answer: Very bad, and perhaps too soon in the season, at least in Delhi. Now for the long answer.

At least one weather station in Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of over 50°C on May 29, an extreme threshold that some stations in Rajasthan crossed on May 28. While this is an extreme event, the more important question to ask is how bad is the ongoing heatwave in large parts of northwestern India? HT has looked at the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) gridded database to answer this question. These grids cover an area bound by two latitudes and longitudes 1 degree apart, or over 100km, and the data can used to calculate temperatures for 29 states in India. Here is what it tells us about the current heatwave.

An elderly person out on the streets on a sultry summer day in Mungeshpur, Delhi. (HT Photo)