NEW DELHI: A searing heatwave gripped major parts of India with maximum temperatures ranging from 43 degrees Celsius to 46°C in many regions, especially East India. The India Meteorological Department on Sunday forecast severe heatwave spell over East India during the next five days.
In North India, Bulandshahar sizzled at 44°C and Jharkhand’s Bhargora at 46 °C, according to IMD bulletin. Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and a few pockets of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Vidharbha have been experiencing heatwaves for the past one week.
“It will continue like this for another week. A severe heatwave condition will prevail over Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand and few pockets of Odisha,” IMD said.
A heatwave is declared when temperature increases to 40°C in plains, 37°C in coastal areas and 30°C in hilly regions with a departure from normal of at least 4.5°C. A severe heatwave is declared with departures from normal of at least 6.5°C.
Gangetic West Bengal is on the boil where departure of temperatures from normal had been ranging from 4.5°C to 7.6°C in different districts. In Odisha, departure of temperatures from normal had been ranging from 1.4°C to 6.1°C. (See table).
A newsreader in the Kolkata branch of Doordarshan fainted during on air reporting. The Odisha government on Sunday announced summer vacation for school students from
April 25. Bangladesh also closed schools and colleges due to heatwave. Soaring temperature has also been impacting the general election process as the first phase recorded low turnout.
Experts say rising temperature is one of the reasons for lower turnout. The Election Commission has already issued an advisory urging voters to take precautions.
Central and southern India have also been seething under soaring temperatures. The maximum temperatures observed in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal on Saturday were above normal. The departure of temperatures from normal had been ranging from 3.1°C to 7.6°C.
On Sunday, Baripada and Naupada in Odisha recorded 44.6°C and 44°C maximum temperature, Bankura and Panagarh in West Bengal reported 44.5°c and 44°C, Bahargora and Jamshedpur in Jharkhand boiled at 46°C and 44.2°C.
Barackpore in West Bengal reported 43.7 °C on Sunday, which was 7.6°C departure from normal. Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh reported 43 °C on Saturday, which was 7.6 °C departure from normal.
“This is an established pattern that the eastern region experiences heatwaves first,” said a scientist. Hot weather will gradually move towards Northwest India and parts of east Uttar Pradesh will experience heatwave conditions. Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Rajasthan will experience maximum temperatures in the range of 38- 42°C by newxt week, IMD said. “Perhaps the typical heatwave is still far away due to regular western disturbances,” said Mahesh Palavat of Skymet Weather, a private weather solution agency.