Heat in Delhi causes electricity demand to skyrocket to a record high

India’s capital Delhi is reeling under a prolonged heat wave that has caused electricity demand to spike to a record 8,647 megawatts (MW) this week.

Temperatures have hovered around 44-45 degrees Celsius in the city and other parts of northern India for weeks.

The widespread use of cooling devices such as air conditioners has put pressure on resources, leading to frequent power outages in Delhi.

The capital’s record on Tuesday came a day after northern India saw its highest electricity consumption at 89,000 MW.

Delhi’s electricity demand has broken several records this season, the first on May 22 when it touched the 8,000 MW mark.

On Monday, the city airport witnessed a power outage that lasted several minutes and affected services at the terminals.

Images shared on social media showed passengers lining up at check-in counters as airline staff waited for their computers to turn back on.

The city is also facing a serious water crisis. Video shared on social networks shows crowds holding buckets jostling water trucks.

The weather department said the heat wave in northern India is likely to last for the next few days.

Dozens of people have died from heat-related illnesses since March, when summer began.

During the first week of June, More than 50 people died from ahead of a three-day heatwave in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and the northeastern state of Odisha (formerly Orissa).

Summers in India are usually hot and humid, but this year the heat has been especially harsh, with heat waves lasting longer, more intense and more frequent.

On Tuesday, the weather agency said the country was also likely to receive below-normal rainfall in June.