The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that heat wave conditions over northwest India will abate from tomorrow. According to the IMD, heat wave conditions will prevail over parts of Saurashtra, Kutch, Vidarbha, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi today and over Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat till tomorrow.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall will likely be over Assam and Meghalaya today. The weather agency has also predicted light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds up to 50 kilometers per hour over East and Northeast India till the 12th of this month. In South India, these conditions will prevail over parts of Tamilnadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana and Karnataka today.
It’s only early April, but a heatwave is already sweeping across North India. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings of extreme temperatures across several northern states this week. It has issued a ‘yellow’ alert. This means heat is generally manageable, but it can be dangerous for babies, elderly people, and those who are with chronic disease.
IMD forecast indicates states like Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat are expected to see temperatures above 40 degree celsius. This is the first major heatwave of the season, and it is hitting hard. West Rajasthan is facing the worst of it, while parts of East Rajasthan, Saurashtra, and Kutch in Gujarat are also recording very high temperatures.
Not surprisingly, Delhi recorded its first heatwave of the year on Monday, April 7, with temperatures reaching 40.2 degree celsius in many areas. The IMD has extended the ‘yellow’ alert in the capital for two more days, as the heat is expected to get worse in days to come.
Reports suggest that usually North India experiences heatwaves between April and June. But due to the effects of climate change or global warming, such extreme weather is now starting earlier and lasting longer.
Last week, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that most parts of India will face a very hot summer this year, with temperatures higher than normal.
“From April to June, most parts of north and east India, central India and the plains of north-west are expected to experience two-to-four more heatwave days than normal,” Mohapatra added.
During the same months, more heatwave days are expected across several states including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and northern parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.