Ranit Kr. Singh , New Delhi - A brutal heatwave continues to scorch large parts of northern, central, and western India, forcing authorities to alter daily schedules as temperatures surpass 40°C across multiple states. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued critical weather warnings extending through May 28, keeping a Red alert active for southern Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha, and north coastal Andhra Pradesh. Despite a brief, temporary rainfall in Delhi on Saturday morning, official heat stress and heatwave warnings remain active for the national capital, where temperatures reached a grueling 45.3°C at the Ridge station on Friday.

In response to the escalating crisis, state governments are taking immediate administrative measures to minimize public exposure to the dangerous afternoon heat. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that starting May 25, all public and private schools alongside government offices will shift their operational hours to 7:30 AM until 1:30 PM. Meanwhile, health officials in cities like Rajkot, Gujarat—where urban centers are tracking between 42°C and 43°C—have issued strict public health advisories urging residents to remain indoors during peak daylight hours.

The extreme weather pattern shows vast regional severity, with Banda district in Uttar Pradesh recording a blistering 46.4°C and plains districts in Uttarakhand experiencing heatwave-like conditions up to 42°C. Conversely, a western disturbance brought a brief respite to certain hill regions, causing a 6-to-8-degree drop in Shimla over 24 hours. However, the IMD warns that severe conditions will persist across the broader plains, maintaining Orange alerts across major regions including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana as the relentless heatwave enters its next week.