Temperatures in India's capital have soared to a record-high 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 Fahrenheit) as authorities warn of water shortages in the sprawling mega-city.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), which reported "severe heat-wave conditions", recorded the temperatures on Tuesday at two Delhi suburbs stations at Narela and Mungeshpur.
The weather bureau said the temperatures were nine degrees higher than expected.
Forecasters predict similar temperatures Wednesday for the city with an estimated population of more than 30 million people, issuing a red alert warning notice for people to take care.
The IMD's red alert is a warning there is a "very high likelihood of developing heat illness and heat stroke in all ages", with "extreme care needed for vulnerable people".
Heat remains high even during the night, it added.
The IMD said the heat wave in northwest and central India was "likely to reduce gradually" from Thursday.
In May 2022, parts of Delhi hit 49.2 degrees Celsius (120.5 Fahrenheit), Indian media reported at the time.
India is no stranger to searing summer temperatures.
But years of scientific research have found climate change is causing heatwaves to become longer, more frequent and more intense.
New Delhi authorities have also warned of the risk of water shortages as the capital swelters in headache-inducing heat -- cutting supplies to some areas. Water Minister Atishi Marlena has called for "collective responsibility" in stopping wasteful water use, the Times of India newspaper reported Wednesday.
"To address the problem of water scarcity, we have taken a slew of measures such as reducing water supply from twice a day to once a day in many areas," Atishi said, the Indian Express reported.
"The water thus saved will be rationed and supplied to the water-deficient areas where supply lasts only 15 to 20 minutes a day," she added.
The highly-polluted Yamuna river -- a tributary of the Ganges -- runs through Delhi, but flow is hugely reduced during the summer months.
Delhi relies almost entirely on water from the neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, both farming states with their huge water demands.
Many blame the soaring temperatures on scorching winds from Rajasthan state, where temperatures on Tuesday were the hottest in the country, at 50.5 degrees Celsius.
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