Why is India facing extreme heat? Know the Pakistan connection behind scorching temperatures

From Italy to Germany and the United Kingdom, scorching temperatures have caused several deaths. Road transport has been disrupted, and train services have been suspended in some areas due to the extreme weather conditions.

Published: July 1, 2026, 6:41 AM IST

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New Delhi: The National Capital witnessed a major spike in temperature on Tuesday after a moderate downpour on Monday. During the evening hours, the “feels like” temperature hovered around 50 to 53 degrees Celsius. However, the average temperature across different parts of the city remained around 40-41 degrees Celsius. As per a Dainik Jagran report citing meteorologists, dry winds coming from Pakistan and moisture-laden air from the Arabian Sea are the main reasons behind the intensified heat sensations in the city.

Delhi and intense heatwave:

As per news agency PTI, experts say that the high temperatures are being driven by dry westerly winds coming from Pakistan, while southwesterly winds originating from the Arabian Sea are also reaching Delhi. These two wind systems are increasing the humidity levels.

Talking to Dainik Jagran, Skymet meteorologist Mahesh Palawat stated that the interaction between these dry and moisture-laden winds leads to cloud formation, but not rainfall. By the time these clouds develop — usually around 4 or 5 pm — the day’s maximum temperature has already been recorded, making both the actual temperature and the “feels-like” temperature seem even higher.

Here are some of the key details:

• The temperature at Safdarjung stood at 40.5°C on Tuesday,
• According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature at Palam was 41.0°C, 40.1°C at Lodhi Road, and 40.1°C at Ayanagar.
• The Ridge station was the hottest, recording a temperature of 41.5°C.
• Temperatures across all stations were between 2°C and 4.8°C above normal.
• On Tuesday, June 30, light rainfall was recorded in some parts of the city.
• The weather department also reported light showers at several locations.
• By 8:30 am, light rain had been recorded at Safdarjung, Palam, Lodhi Road, and Ayanagar, while no rainfall was reported at the Ridge station.
• Between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm, only Palam and Ayanagar received light rainfall, whereas Safdarjung, Lodhi Road, and the Ridge station did not receive any rain.

Why is Europe experiencing such extreme heat?

In a concerning development, Europe has also started feeling severe heat these days. On Tuesday, France recorded one of the hottest days in its history. Maximum temperatures in the western parts of the country reached between 39°C and 43°C.

From Italy to Germany and the United Kingdom, scorching temperatures have caused several deaths. Road transport has been disrupted, and train services have been suspended in some areas due to the extreme weather conditions.

According to scientists, climate change is the primary reason behind this intense heatwave.

In June 2025, the extreme heatwave struck southeastern England. It also found that without the impact of greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities, such an intense heatwave would have occurred only once every 50 years.

However, after accounting for the 1.3°C rise in global temperatures caused by human-induced climate change, researchers found that such extreme heat events are no longer expected just once every 50 years. Instead, they are now likely to occur at least once every five years.