In north India, temperatures may pass the 50 degree-mark, the India Meteorological Department said on Saturday, as Dr M Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, further shared that May is usually the “hottest month”, going by the trends. “The average maximum temperature over northwest and central India in April is the highest with 35.90 degrees Celsius and 37.78 degrees Celsius respectively in the last 122 years,” the top IMD scientist was quoted as saying by news agency. This week, several states in the country have suffered power crisis amid coal shortage due to increased electricity consumption.
Here are ten points on heatwave in India:
1. “Normal to above normal rainfall is likely over most parts of India except some parts of northwest and northeast India as well as extreme southeast Peninsula where it is likely to be below normal.” the top IMD scientist underlined.
2. During May, “above normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of west central and northwest India, and northern parts of northeast India. Normal to below normal maximum temperatures are likely over the remaining parts of the country,” an official statement said.
3. In Maharashtra’s Vidarbha, the heatwave conditions are likely to continue for the next five days, according to the weather office’s latest bulletin.
4. In Punjab, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, eastern Rajasthan and northern parts of Telangana, the heatwave spell is likely for another three days.
5. The national capital has recorded the second hottest April in 72 years, the weather office said on Friday.
6. While one part of the country is experiencing the mercury surge, isolated heavy rainfall is expected in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and several other parts of the northeast till May 3.
7. Maximum temperatures on Thursday “were 43-46°C over most parts of Rajasthan, Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh and East Uttar Pradesh; in many parts over Gujarat, interior Odisha; in some parts of central Maharashtra and in isolated pockets of Bihar, Jharkhand, interior Gangetic West Bengal and 40- 43°C over most parts of Haryana-Delhi, Punjab and in isolated pockets of West Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Marathwada, Telangana and Rayalaseema.”
8. UN agency WMO has also expressed concern over the heatwave conditions in the country.
9. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that the country was witnessing a national crisis.
10. Gujarat and Punjab too have faced outages amid increased demands.