IMD issues ‘heatwave alert’ for parts of southern and eastern India for next two days
The India Meteorological Department on Saturday said that parts of peninsular and eastern India are expected to experience “heatwave conditions for the next two days”.
Areas likely to be affected include Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, North Interior Karnataka, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Rayalaseema, and Telangana.
On Saturday, the weather department wrote on X, “Heat wave conditions are likely to prevail over parts of east India today and over peninsular India during the next 2 days and abate thereafter.”
What is heatwave condition?
According to the IMD, a heatwave occurs when air temperatures reach levels that pose a risk to human health upon exposure. It is typically defined quantitatively by temperature thresholds in a region, either in absolute terms or in comparison to average temperatures.
A ‘heatwave’ is recognised when the maximum temperature in a location reaches 40 degrees Celsius or higher for plains and 30 degrees Celsius or higher for hilly regions.
According to IMD data, on Friday, maximum temperatures soared between 40-43°C across most of Vidarbha in Maharashtra and Odisha, as well as many parts of Rayalaseema, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, Madhya Maharashtra, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam, North Interior Karnataka, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu. These temperatures were 2-4°C above the normal range.
On Saturday, minimum temperatures were 3-5°C higher than usual in a few places in Uttar Pradesh and at isolated spots in Bihar, Gujarat Region, Madhya Maharashtra, West Bengal & Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura.
Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest temperature on Friday at 43.7 degrees Celsius, with Bhubaneswar and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh reaching 43.5 degrees Celsius, making them the second hottest cities.
In Odisha, eight people were admitted to different hospitals due to heat-related illnesses, as reported by news agency ANI on Saturday. Director of Public Health Odisha Niranjan Mishra, said, “The temperature is rising in Odisha…We have to remain prepared for all heat-related illnesses. This heat-related illness is the spectrum of diseases that can include heat exhaustion, heat cramps…We have issued guidelines to all districts on what to be done and we have recently conducted a training of doctors covering all the districts.”
The weather department predicted heatwave conditions in isolated areas of Tamil Nadu, interior Karnataka, and Telangana on Saturday and Sunday and in Odisha, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam, and Rayalaseema on Saturday.
“Warm nights”, characterised by maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or more, are expected in isolated areas of North Interior Karnataka and Telangana on Saturday and Sunday, and in East Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, and Odisha on Saturday.
Hot and humid conditions are expected in Kerala & Maharashtra, coastal areas of Saurashtra & Kutch from Saturday until April 10; in Odisha and West Bengal on Saturday; in Coastal Karnataka and Konkan & Goa on Saturday and Sunday; and in Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam and Rayalaseema from Sunday until April 10.