For the past few days, people on social media platforms X, Instagram and Facebook have been claiming that temperatures in India crossed 55 degrees Celsius on May 25-26.

CLAIM

Temperatures in India reached 55°C during the 2026 heatwave

WHAT HAPPENED

Large parts of India have been experiencing heatwaves since April 2026, with temperatures soaring above 45 degrees Celsius. While this is common in the region during summer, experts have warned that this year is likely to see a strong El Niño — characterised by warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean — making matters worse.

The scorching temperatures have resulted in numerous heat-related deaths, heatstroke cases, and school closures. In a series of posts on X last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to take precautions and stay vigilant against heat-related illnesses, amid “soaring temperatures”.

Climate researchers have also sounded an alarm that more frequent and severe heatwaves in the region over the past decades reflect broader global warming trends.

For the past few days, people on social media platforms X, Instagram and Facebook have been claiming that temperatures in India crossed 55°C on May 25-26. “It must be the country on earth most like hell,” an X user said.

Another user said, “I am not sure how they survive in India with temperatures at 55 degrees; I can barely move at 30 degrees.”

Some people also shared a heat map of the heatwave in India, claiming that it showed temperatures reaching 55°C.

WHAT WE FOUND

A keyword search conducted to corroborate whether any Indian or international media outlets had reported on temperatures reaching 55°C did not yield any results.

Instead, it yielded a BBC report dated June 1, which stated that Banda city in India’s Uttar Pradesh district topped the chart of being the hottest place in the country during May, when temperatures hovered at 47°C-48°C for more than a week. It called the sweltering temperatures “an extraordinary run even by local standards”.

A DW report, dated May 27, reported the same. “Maximum temperatures have been at about 47 degrees Celsius (116 degrees Fahrenheit) in several regions, making conditions extreme for gig workers, construction laborers, and service providers who depend on daily wages,” it said.

Similar reports were also carried out by other media outlets such as CGTN and The Times of India.

The search results also yielded a weather report by the India Meteorological Department dated May 28. It issued heatwave and severe heatwave warnings for several states across the country, but the forecasts pointed to temperatures around 45°C to 48°C, not 55°C.

The report added that the highest maximum temperature of 47.6°C was recorded in Banda on May 21 and in Maharashtra’s Bramhapuri on May 25. The same was also confirmed to iVerify Pakistan by an Indian journalist over the phone.

It must be noted that there is no verified record of temperatures in India ever reaching 55°C. The country’s highest verified temperature remains 51°C, recorded at Phalodi, Rajasthan, in May 2016, according to a Guardian report. It topped the previous record of 50.6°C set in 1956.

As per the World Meteorological Organisation’s Records of Weather and Climate Extremes Table, released in July 2025, the current official highest registered air temperature on Earth is 56.7°C, recorded on July 10, 1913, at Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley, Eastern California, in the United States.

Separately, several social media users also pointed out that claims regarding temperatures reaching 55°C were fake, as seen here, here, here and here.