A viral message is being widely shared across social media platforms claiming that the Directorate General of Civil Defence (DGCD) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a high alert on extreme heat in the country.
The message advises people not to go outdoors between 10 AM and 3 PM between April 29 to June 2, warning that temperatures will reportedly rise between 45°C and 55°C. It also advises people to remove items like gas cylinders, lighters, carbonated drinks, and perfumes from their cars, suggesting these could be hazardous in extreme heat.
BOOM found that the viral message is old. We also reached out to an official at IMD who refuted the claim.
BOOM found that the viral message is false, and neither the DGCD nor the IMD has issued any such alert.
BOOM reached out to an official from the IMD who confirmed to us that the message is not true. ‘There are different forms of information released by IMD for different time scales,” he said, and explained that these include seasonal and monthly temperature and heatwave forecasts , extended range forecasts issued every Thursday for the following four weeks, and daily short- to medium-range forecasts covering the next seven days. However, he said that IMD has not issued such an alert between April 29 to June 2.
We also checked the official website of the DGCD, which falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and found no such alert. The DGCD's primary role relates to emergency preparedness during war and disasters, including the “role of guarding the hinterland, supporting the Armed forces, mobilizing the citizens and helping civil administration.”
It does not directly issue weather forecasts or warnings—that responsibility lies solely with the IMD.
Additionally, we conducted a keyword search using the phrase “The General Directorate of Civil Defense warns citizens and residents of the following,” which appears in the viral message.
BOOM found that the same viral message had been circulating on LinkedIn and Facebook in both 2023 and 2024. We also found that the current viral message is a repurposed version of those older posts.
What has the IMD issued?
BOOM checked the IMD’s daily press release for April 30, 2025. It showed that the highest temperature on April 29 was 46.3°C, recorded in Jaisalmer, West Rajasthan.
It highlighted that heatwave conditions were likely in some areas of the Jammu division, West Rajasthan, and Saurashtra & Kutch. It also mentioned that no major changes in temperatures are expected in the rest of the country.
According to the IMD, a heatwave means “unusually high temperatures as compared to what is normally expected over a region”, which can be dangerous and even fatal if people are exposed to it for too long.
Further, the IMD and the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommend safety measures such as staying indoors during peak heat hours, staying hydrated, wearing light-coloured, loose-fitting cotton clothes, using an umbrella or a hat and staying abreast about official heat warnings.
