There is no respite from the rising temperatures till next week, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has extended the heatwave warnings in India to at least May 27. The weather will remain mostly
dry over northwest India with clear skies, worsening the impact of the heat.
Searing heatwaves have swept the majority of the northern plains, with the mercury hovering at least 3-6℃ above the normal values at this time of the year. The maximum temperatures peaked at 48℃ in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday. The national capital, Delhi, also continues to reel under heatwaves, with temperatures settling around 44-46℃ for the third consecutive day. On Thursday, the Lodhi road station recorded 44.3°C, nearly 5.3°C above normal.
While the high temperatures during the day are already disrupting lives and livelihoods, mercury is steadily rising during the night as well, taking a toll on public health. Warm night conditions continued to prevail in many places, including Delhi, where the nighttime temperature also shot up 4.5℃ above normal. It settled over 29-30℃ on Wednesday night.
In its latest forecast, the weather department said heatwave conditions are very likely to continue across several places in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi during May 21 to 27, which could even become severe in parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh during this period. Scientists have been warning that climate change is indeed making heatwaves more intense and frequent, and they now last over the regions much longer than usual.
The MeT declares a heatwave in the plains when the maximum temperature of a station climbs to 40°C and is 4.5°C to 6.5°C above normal in two stations in a meteorological subdivision for at least two consecutive days. The heatwave is declared on the second day. It becomes severe when the departure from normal exceeds 6.5℃ above normal.
Similar warnings have also been issued for western Rajasthan, western Uttar Pradesh, eastern Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Jharkhand, and coastal Andhra Pradesh, as well as the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. The heatwaves are also likely to hit Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal, where the mercury has been rising steadily.
The weather department had already warned of extreme heat in its seasonal outlook for April to June, which predicted above-normal heatwave days over major parts of India. Farmers are being advised to ensure light and frequent irrigation to their standing crops, as the high heat may cause a drop in yields, especially fruits and vegetables sown during this period. Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon is inching closer to the mainland, and conditions are favourable for its further progress over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal during the next 3-4 days. According to the MeT, it is likely to reach the Kerala coast by May 26 and is expected to cover the entire country by July 8.
