Heat Wave: Delhi's power demand reaches all time high amid abnormal temperatures

Delhi is grappling with a record-breaking power demand due to a relentless heatwave. On Wednesday, peak demand surged to 8,656 MW, surpassing Tuesday's 8,647 MW. The city's hottest night in 12 years saw temperatures at 35.2°C, while the power ministry urges utilities to stay vigilant. The IMD predicts relief from June 20 as monsoon advances

Delhi is currently facing an intense heatwave, resulting in an unprecedented surge in electricity demand. On Wednesday, the city's peak power demand hit a record high of 8,656 MW at precisely 15:06:55 hours, according to real-time data from the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) Delhi. This surpassed Tuesday's peak of 8,647 MW, which was the highest for this summer until then.

The severe heat has significantly increased the city's electricity consumption, raising concerns about the stability of the power supply and the need for efficient grid management to prevent outages. On Tuesday night, Delhi experienced its hottest night in 12 years, with temperatures not dropping below 35.2 degrees Celsius, which is significantly above the seasonal norm. The maximum temperature on Wednesday was anticipated to reach around 44 degrees Celsius.

In response to the rising electricity demand, the power ministry has instructed all utilities to remain highly vigilant and minimize forced outages of equipment. The northern region of India, where the monsoon has yet to arrive, has been particularly affected by the heatwave since May 17, 2024. Despite these challenging conditions, the region successfully met its highest-ever peak demand of 89 GW on June 17, 2024, by importing 25-30 percent of its power requirements from neighboring regions.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the heatwave in North-West India is expected to subside from June 20. However, India has experienced 20 percent less rainfall than average since the start of the monsoon season on June 1. The IMD reported that the monsoon's progress had stalled between June 12 and 18, but conditions are now favorable for its advancement into parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh, northwest Bay of Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand over the next few days. As of now, India has received 64.5 mm of rainfall, compared to the long-period average (LPA) of 80.6 mm.