A brutal heatwave has gripped large parts of India, prompting urgent IMD alerts as temperatures soar, with Banda in Uttar Pradesh recording a blistering 48.2 degrees Celsius.
Published: May 19, 2026 10:34 PM IST
IMD Heatwave alert: A punishing heatwave has tightened its grip across major sections of India, turning deadly on Tuesday as temperatures climbed toward the 50-degree mark. The severe weather turned tragic in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, where a four-year-old girl lost her life to suspected suffocation after being trapped inside a car during the peak afternoon heat. The intense thermal wave has prompted urgent warnings from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) as cities break seasonal records, led by Banda in Uttar Pradesh, which scorched at a blistering 48.2 degrees Celsius. Here are all the details you need to know about the weather update shared by IMD.
Maximum temperature recorded in several cities of India
Daily life has ground to a halt across multiple states as the unrelenting heat stretches from the northern plains down into central India. Punjab residents faced grueling conditions as Faridkot registered a daytime high of 47.3 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region offered no relief, with the majority of its cities baking under extreme heatwave conditions, including Amravati, which clocked a maximum temperature of 46.8 degrees Celsius.
It was a a heatwave day in Delhi as temperatures in the city breached the 45 degrees-mark during the day.
UP’s Banda emerges as hottest place in the state at 48.2 degrees Celsius
In Uttar Pradesh, Banda emerged as the hottest place in the state at 48.2 degrees Celsius, while temperatures crossed the 40 degrees Celsius mark in 22 of the state’s 75 districts, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Delhi Heatwave alert: IMD issues Yellow alert for national capital as city records rising temperatures
Among the hottest places in the state were Jhansi and Agra, which recorded a maximum temperature of 46.5 degrees Celsius each, followed by Prayagraj at 45.8 degrees Celsius. In Lucknow, the maximum temperature settled at 40.9 degrees Celsius.
What did weather office say on severe heatwave conditions?
The weather office said heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were very likely at many places in southern UP and at a few places in the remaining parts of the state. It also warned of warm night conditions at isolated places in western UP.
The health department is on alert following the IMD warning of severe heat and heatwave conditions over the next few days.
(With inputs from agencies)
