India, June 11 -- Delhi's story of extreme heat is essentially a story about inequality. In May 2026, the city recorded 'heatwave conditions' on the 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 24th and 27th, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Warm night conditions occurred over Delhi on the 21st and 25th May, the latter becoming the hottest night in 14 years, the weather monitoring body noted in its monthly report.

This story isn't about any of those days. Down To Earth (DTE) spoke to outdoor workers in Delhi on May 23, when no temperature records were broken. It had drizzled in the morning and maximum temperatures across the city were in the range of 42-44degC. Although this was above normal, it didn't meet IMD's heatwave definition: 4...