Northwest India braces for long haul of heatwave
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted a heatwave over northwest India in the upcoming five days. The states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi are expected to be most affected.
Starting from May 18, east and central India will also experience a new spell of heatwave.
An orange alert, indicating a high health risk for vulnerable groups such as infants, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases, has been issued for Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Delhi by the Met office.
The office has cautioned about the increased risk of heat-related illnesses for those exposed to the sun for extended periods or involved in strenuous work. The IMD has predicted severe heatwave conditions in parts of west Rajasthan from May 17-20 and in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi from May 18-20. By Saturday, temperatures in the national capital could reach up to 45 degrees Celsius.
A yellow alert has been sounded for east Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, and Odisha. Earlier, the Met office had anticipated a higher than usual count of heatwave days in the northern plains and central India for May.
Typically, the northern plains, central India, and adjoining regions of peninsular India witness around three heatwave days in May. April witnessed unprecedented maximum temperatures in east, northeast, and southern peninsular India, leading to health advisories from government agencies and suspension of in-person classes in some states. Several locations reported their highest-ever temperatures for April, with temperatures reaching up to 47 degrees Celsius.
In Kerala, at least two fatalities were reported due to suspected heatstroke. As per IMD data, the number of heatwave days in April was the highest in 15 years in Gangetic West Bengal and in nine years in Odisha. Odisha also endured its longest heatwave spell (16 days) in April since 2016. A group of prominent climate scientists stated on Wednesday that similar heatwaves could occur once every 30 years and have already become about 45 times more probable due to climate change. The World Weather Attribution (WWA) group highlighted that heatwaves, exacerbated by climate change, are significantly impacting the lives of impoverished people across Asia. In the context of the ongoing but weakening El Nino conditions, the IMD had previously alerted about extreme heat in India during the April-June period, coinciding with the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections concluding on June 1.
