Nagpur, India- On Friday, Nagpur became a hot topic on social media after the Automatic Weather Station (AWS) reported an incredibly high temperature of 54.89 degrees Celsius. This came just days after Delhi recorded a scorching 52.3 degrees. The extreme heat in Nagpur created a buzz online, with many officials and ministers sharing the shocking temperature reading. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) later clarified that the reading was due to a technical glitch, and the actual temperature was a more typical 45 degrees.

The AWS at Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) near Sitabuldi reported 54.9 degrees Celsius, which would have been the highest temperature ever recorded in India. Another AWS at the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport showed 53.2 degrees Celsius. This caused a stir on social media until the IMD explained the error.

Nagpur, Maharashtra's second capital, has been experiencing intense heat. The city's highest recorded summer temperature is around 48.0 degrees Celsius, with this year's peak being 45.6 degrees Celsius. The IMD explained that the temperature sensor at Nagpur City AWS was malfunctioning, and they were working to fix it. They noted that electronic sensors can fail in extreme weather. "Automatic systems may report incorrect readings for various reasons, such as site conditions, damage to sensors, or their protection shields. However, IMD staff are trained to detect such incorrect readings by comparing them with other meteorological data," the IMD said.

The IMD further clarified that the correct maximum temperature on May 30 was 44.0 degrees Celsius, according to a nearby functioning AWS. "Outlier data are filtered in the pre-processing stage. The report of 56 degrees Celsius on May 30, 2024, is incorrect and has not been officially declared. The nearby functioning AWS at CICR, Nagpur, recorded a maximum temperature of 44.0 degrees Celsius," the IMD stated. Besides the three AWS in Nagpur, a departmental weather station in the RMC building provides daily weather data. Other regions with AWS to monitor temperature include Gondia, Chandrapur, Akola, Yavatmal, Bhandara, Ramtek, and Wardha.

Media looked into why Nagpur's temperature reading was so high, which meteorologists said was a technical glitch. A senior meteorologist explained, "An Automatic Weather Station (AWS) works like a computer with a microprocessor and a data logger. The microprocessor gets data, the logger captures it using sensors, and then processes it. The data is then sent to us using a SIM card. This process is fully automatic."

He added, "A sensor called a ‘thermistor’ measures temperature. As the heat increases, the voltage in the thermistor changes, which is converted into a temperature reading. We calibrate it based on the city's average temperature. If the temperature spikes, the data logger may malfunction, showing an abnormally high temperature. This malfunction likely caused the reported temperature in Nagpur to exceed 50 degrees Celsius."