Severe heat wave predicted in many states during second phase of polling

New Delhi: Lakhs of voters will have to bear the searing heat when they step out to exercise their franchise in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday warned of heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in parts of West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh during the next five days.

It has issued a red warning for West Bengal and Odisha and an orange alert for Bihar and parts of Karnataka.

The Met office said high humidity could add to people’s inconvenience in Tripura, Kerala, coastal Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam, Meghalaya and Goa.

Voters in 88 Lok Sabha constituencies in 13 states and Union Territories will exercise their franchise during the second phase of the elections on Friday.

High-velocity winds, light rain and thunderstorms could provide temporary relief from the hot weather in parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on Friday, the weather office said.

On Wednesday, Union Minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari fainted while speaking at an election rally in eastern Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district amid the scorching heat, prompting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to question the nearly two-month-long schedule.

The ongoing heatwave spell is the second this month.

Heatwave conditions have been prevailing in Odisha since April 15 and in Gangetic West Bengal since April 17, according to the Met office.

The IMD also said warm night conditions are likely in Odisha during April 27-29. High night temperatures are considered dangerous because the body doesn’t get a chance to cool down.

Increasing nighttime heat is more common in cities because of the urban heat island effect, in which metro areas are significantly hotter than their surroundings.

The threshold for a heat wave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas, and 30 degrees in the hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 notches.

A severe heat wave is declared if the departure from normal exceeds 6.4 notches.

The IMD said people in areas where a red alert has been declared could develop heat illness and heatstroke and suggested taking extreme care.

In orange-alert areas, there is a likelihood of heat illness in people who are either exposed to the sun for a prolonged period or doing heavy work.