On Sunday, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a “red” warning to Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Rajasthan for May 25 and 26 as the temperature has soared high crossing the 45 degree Celsius mark in many parts of North India. An “orange” alert has also been announced in East Uttar Pradesh.
Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s Regional Meteorological Centre warned that temperature may rise upto 47° for the next 2-3 days.
He stated that unlike other years, the temperature has not surged up till now because of a considerable amount of rainfall from April till mid-May. It is the first time in this summer that caution for a heatwave has been issued.
The IMD in its own gazette wrote, “Heatwave conditions over some parts with a severe heatwave over isolated pockets are very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Telangana during the next five days”.
Isolated areas of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Gujarat, central Maharashtra and Vidarbha, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalseema and north interior Karnataka are also anticipated to experience a heatwave within 3-4 days.
A heatwave is generally circulated when the maximum temperature reaches 40°C and the departure from normal temperature is 4.5° Celsius to 6.4° Celsius.
However, a heatwave is declared for the plains when the temperature is at 45° Celsius and a severe heatwave when it is 47° or above.
The intensity of the weather condition is determined by the colour coded warnings in its ascending order- green, yellow, orange and red.
Srivastava added that people have been urged not to venture out in the streets from 1 pm till 5 pm as the heat will be at its peak during this period.
Naresh Kumar, a scientist with the National Weather Forecasting Centre of the IMD, said due to dry north-westerly winds and a trough between Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu, conditions are favourable for heatwave to severe heatwave.
Further, Kumar told that a western disturbance may cause some rainfall but only after May 28.
