Delhi has been raining fire, and large parts of northern and central India remained gripped by a sweltering heatwave, with the national capital experiencing a 79-year high.

The maximum temperature of 52.9 degrees Celsius in Mungeshpur, a densely populated locality amid fields and open spaces on the fringes of the national capital that left weather scientists flummoxed. This prompted the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to examine the automatic weather station in the area for possible sensor errors.

The IMD later clarified that the unusual maximum temperature of over 52.9 degrees Celsius in the national capital's Mungeshpur was due to an "error in sensor or local factor." This statement came after media reports highlighted this figure as the highest ever temperature recorded in the city.

"It looks abnormal and it is an outlier when compared with other weather stations in the national capital region," IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said in a statement.

In an official release, the IMD explained that temperatures across Delhi-NCR varied from 45.2 degrees Celsius to 49.1 degrees Celsius on May 29. However, the reading from Mungeshpur stood out as an outlier compared to other stations. The IMD is currently examining the data and sensors to determine the exact cause of this anomaly. The department suggested that it could be due to a sensor error or an influence of local factors affecting the measurement.

Hours after the reports of Delhi's Mungeshpur recording a highest temperature, Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju raised a question about this and said that the drastic rise in temperature is 'unlikely'. Taking to X, the minister wrote, "It is not official yet. Temperature of 52.3°C in Delhi is very unlikely. Our senior officials in IMD have been asked to verify the news report. The official position will be stated soon."

The weather department clarified that there was an error in the sensor or a local factor. It further added that the temperature variation was likely due to due to "local exposure factors such as proximity to water bodies, barren land, concrete and dense urban clusters, green areas."

The IMD is investigating the sensor error or local factor that caused the anomalous.