Indian capital swelters as temperature hits all-time high of 52.9 Celsius

Girls cover their heads as they walk on a street near a landfill site on a hot summer day during a heatwave in New Delhi, India, May 27, 2024. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Delhi recorded an all-time high temperature of 52.9 degrees Celsius (127.22 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday as extreme heat conditions gripped the north and western parts of India, causing students to faint in schools and drinking water taps to dry up.

A heat wave alert has been in place for large parts of India since last week but on Wednesday the temperature in Mungeshpur, a densely packed corner of Delhi, crossed the 50 C mark, the weather office said.