Satellite data shows Delhi surface temperature hit 60°C

Using satellite-derived land surface temperature data, researchers found temperatures reaching as high as 60.77 degrees Celsius during summer months in locations such as the Indira Gandhi International Airport and other barren or sparsely vegetated stretches.  Neighbourhoods such as Bawana Industrial Area, Sultanpur Dabas, Puth Khurd, Anand Parbat Industrial Area, Khera Kalan, Mayapuri, Libaspur, Balli Maran, Mongolpuri Industrial Area, Phase II and Mundka Industrial Area have emerged as heat spots. In addition, several residential areas are recording an LST ranging from 44°C to 50°C.

The report, Making Delhi Heat-Resilient: A Roadmap with the Focus on Vulnerable Groups, released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), found that 98.72 per cent of Delhi’s area crossed the heat-stress threshold at least once between 2015 and 2024. The report identifies the walled city and its extensions, Karol Bagh, Kashmere Gate, Connaught Place, Uttam Nagar, Palam, Najafgarh, Budh Vihar, Bawana and Narela, among the areas facing recurring heat stress.

According to the report, 75.78 per cent of Delhi’s area is persistently heat- stressed (LST > 45°C for six or more years). Nearly 98.72 per cent of the city’s total area crossed the heat threshold at least once over the decade. The report said that new heat spots include industrial areas (Bawana, Mayapuri and Mundka), high-density low-rise residential colonies, and even newly built complexes (like Bharat Mandapam and East Kidwai Nagar) have emerged.

The report also links the growing heat burden directly to the shrinking of Delhi’s natural cooling infrastructure. According to the analysis, the city’s green cover declined from 25.36 per cent of its area in 2014 to just 14.14 per cent in 2024. Water-body footprints also reduced, shrinking from 1.25 per cent to 0.99 per cent during the same period.

The report found that Delhi breached its normal mean maximum temperature on 42 out of 50 occasions during summer months between 2015 and 2024, suggesting that the city is gradually shifting towards a “new and warmer normal.” According to data shared by the IMD, the Capital’s average maximum temperature in May was 39.7°C, while the average minimum temperature stood at 25.8°C.

According to the report, cool areas like Lutyen’s Delhi, Civil Lines and Delhi Cantonment have remained below the stress threshold, largely due to extensive shading over paved surfaces provided by trees. This points to the crucial role of dense canopy cover. At the same time, 35 per cent of existing green/blue areas are themselves heat-stressed, underscoring that the quality – and not just the quantity – of greens matters.

In the north, this is happening mainly in Samaypur Badli, Bhalswa, Jahangirpuri, Burari and Azadpur industrial area. In the east, it is Shahdara, Bhajanpura, Karawal Nagar and Ghazipur industrial area; in the south-east, there is Badarpur, Madanpur Khadar, Okhla industrial area, Tughlaqabad and Sangam Vihar. In the south of Delhi, there are Mahipalpur, Aya Nagar, Bhikaji Cama Place, AIIMS, RK Puram, Kotla Mubarakpur, Sarai Kale Khan, parts of Green Park and Greater Kailash, East of Kailash, and Lajpat Nagar along the Ring Road. Interestingly, the newly built Bharat Mandapam and the redeveloped East Kidwai Nagar housing complex, as well as the World Trade Centre in Safdarjung and Netaji Nagar, are equally heat-stressed.

One of the report’s most concerning findings is that Delhi’s ability to cool itself during the night is declining.

The report highlights how rising temperatures are disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. Nearly 80 per cent of Delhi’s workforce is employed in the informal sector, where workers often spend long hours outdoors with limited access to cooling, drinking water or shade.