Severe heatwave, red alert in Delhi, other parts of north India for next 5 days

Severe heatwave conditions are likely to prevail over parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, and West Uttar Pradesh, over the next five days.

The India Meteorological Department has said. Issuing a ‘red alert’ for the said states, the weather department also said the maximum daytime temperatures in several districts of these states may breach the 47 degrees Celsius mark.

“Temperatures are currently above normal across North West India, and we had issued a ‘red alert’ for the region over the past two to three days,” senior IMD scientist Naresh Kumar told news agency ANI.

“With regard to a state-wise forecast, we have issued a ‘red alert’ in Rajasthan for the next five days. The maximum temperature is likely to inch further up from 45 degrees Celsius and settle at 47 degrees Celsius,” he said.

“In Punjab and Haryana, maximum temperatures have registered a marginal drop due to a prevailing western disturbance but they will increase gradually hereafter by two to three degrees, for which we have already issued a ‘red alert’ In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, we have issued a ‘red alert’ for the next five days and an ‘orange alert’ for northern parts of Madhya Pradesh,” Kumar said.

NO RESPITE FROM SWELTERING HEAT IN PARTS OF INDIA
A blistering heat wave swept through large parts of India for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, affecting health and livelihoods.

According to the weather office, extreme heat will continue in the lower hills of Himachal Pradesh, safe havens for people escaping the punishing heat in the plains, during the period.

On Tuesday, temperatures remained above 45 degrees Celsius in swathes of Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh, affecting daily life as many chose to remain indoors in the afternoon.

Parts of Gujarat reeled from the deadly combination of high heat and humidity.

The mercury soared to a blistering 47.8 degrees Celsius in Haryana’s Sirsa, making it the warmest place in the country on Tuesday.

In Delhi, temperatures dropped a few degrees compared to the previous days but remained three to five notches above normal for this time of the year.

Officials said the national capital’s peak power demand reached an all-time high of 7,717 MW on Tuesday afternoon, as households and offices increased the use of air conditioners.

HEAVY RAIN IN SOUTHERN STATES
While parts of northern India continue to reel under an unrelenting summer sun, a measure of respite is likely down South.

The weather department predicted heavy to very heavy rains, up to 12 cm, in Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the next two to three days.