Heatwave impact: Mungeshwar weather station's 52.9°C reading was 3°C higher due to sensor error, Rijiju says

The 52.9 degree Celsius reading noted in the Mungeshpur automatic weather station (AWS) was higher by around 3 degrees Celsius, a study chaired by Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju found.


Following worries of discrepancy in the reading, a committee set up by the Indian Meteorological Departmenet chaired by Rijiju found that the maximum temperature of 52.9 degree Celsius recorded by AWS Mungeshpur on May 29 was 3 degree Celsius higher than reading done on standard instruments.


However, the study found that there were no other significant discrepancies found in temperatures reported by other AWS' in Delhi.

The committee has provided recommendations to avoid such discrepancies including checking the AWS sensors at the Surface Instrument, Division, Pune from time to time, conducting a Factory Acceptance Test at the time of installation and comparing AWS readings with the readings with standard instrument.

Further, the committee adviced to conduct a third party audit if possible to authenticate data quality of AWS.

Delhi has been witnessing severe heatwave conditions from May 27, with temperatures well above 45 degree Celsius. The temperatures are expected to remain high over the next two days in the Delhi-NCR region.