Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday has warned of severe heat wave condition across north India for the next 48 hours. Searing heat wave and the outbreak of heat strokes (loo) continue to sweep several parts of north-western India, as the maximum temperatures recorded in various parts of the country were significantly above normal.
According to IMD alert issued on Sunday, severe heat wave condition is likely to prevail over Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region during the next four days and Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, and south Uttar Pradesh during the next two days.
A heat wave is usually declared when the maximum temperature remains above 45 degrees Celsius for two consecutive days.
Although the number of casualties due to heat waves in India have reduced over the years as around 30 people have died so far this year due to the heat wave in the country.
Meanwhile, the IMD in Lucknow said thunderstorm and rain accompanied by hail and gusty wind is very likely to occur on Sunday over Hardoi, Sitapur, Lucknow, Barabanki districts and adjoining areas in Uttar Pradesh.
The IMD said the maximum temperatures were markedly above normal (51 degree Celsius or more) at many places over central Maharashtra and in some parts of Himachal Pradesh, west Rajasthan, east Madhya Pradesh and north interior Karnataka on Saturday and might continue to prevail on Sunday as well.
The maximum temperatures were 31-50 degree Celsius above normal at most places in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, New Delhi, Vidarbha and Marathwada and at a few places over Rayalaseema and Kerala.
According to the met department office in Jaipur on Saturday, Churu in the western part of the desert state of Rajasthan was the hottest place in the country at 50.8 degrees Celsius, nine notches above normal, The entire state reeled under intense heatwave conditions with Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, and Kota recording their maximums at 49, 47.9, 47.2 and 46 degrees Celsius. Jodhpur, Jaipur, and Barmer registered their maximum day temperatures at 45.6, 45.2, 44.5 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, the national capital battled weather conditions in the “red category” on Saturday. The maximum temperature recorded on Saturday at the Palam station was 46.1 degrees Celsius.
Private agency Skymet Weather showed the maximum temperature touched the 47-degree mark on Friday in the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri in Delhi.
In Punjab, Amritsar and Ludhiana reeled under severe heatwave conditions with 45.7 and 44.1 degrees Celsius, up by five degrees above normal on Saturday. The weather department said that the heatwave condition is likely to remain the same on Sunday.
Union Territory Chandigarh, the common capital of Punjab and Haryana, sizzled at 42.4 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal.
IMD sources said that the heatwave condition continued to prevail in the western part of Odisha while the coastal region encountered high humidity levels as 10 places in the state recorded maximum temperatures above 40 degree Celsius Saturday.
The IMD has also predicted that “thunderstorm activity will continue for next 3-5 days over northeastern states and over extreme southern peninsula”.
IMD told, “At present, monsoon has covered some extreme southern part of the Arabian Sea and parts of southwest-southeast-east central Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea, and Andaman Nicobar islands. In the next two-three days, it’ll cover more parts of the Arabian sea.”
