Heatwave: May Likely To Be Warmer Than Usual; Delhi Cooler Than Normal, Red Alert In Karnataka | Top Updates

IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Wednesday data shows that the heat waves in April this year were far worse than in 2023, the warmest year on record so far, adding that this trend is likely to continue in May, with around eight to 11 heatwave days predicted over south Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Gujarat regions, Mohapatra said.

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Heatwave scorched parts of east, northeast, and southern peninsular India in April, prompting health warnings from government agencies, some states to suspend in-person classes in schools and also revision in polling time for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

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West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Tripura, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana are among the states where mercury has crossed 40-45 degrees Celsius and also where IMD has been regularly sounding red, orange and yellow alerts for heatwaves.

Top Weather And Heatwave Updates

IMD Predicts Above Normal Temp For Most Parts Of India

The weather department on Wednesday released the forecast for the month of May and said above-normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country in May, except for most parts of northeast India, some parts of northwest and central India, and adjoining areas of northeast peninsular India where normal to below-normal maximum temperatures are likely.

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Key Points From IMD Forecast:

• 8-11 Heatwave Days For These States: Around eight to 11 heatwave days are predicted in May over south Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Gujarat regions, Mohapatra said.

• 5-7 Heatwave Days For Delhi, UP: The remaining parts of Rajasthan, east Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and some parts of Chhattisgarh, interior Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, north interior Karnataka, and Telangana may record five-seven heatwave days in the month, he said.

• Above Normal Max Temp: Above-normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country in May, except for most parts of northeast India, some parts of northwest and central India, and adjoining areas of northeast peninsular India where normal to below-normal maximum temperatures are likely.

• Above-Normal Minimum Temp: Above-normal minimum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country except the northeast and some areas of northwest India, Indo-Gangetic plains, and the central region.

• Rain Prediction: Normal rainfall (91-109 per cent of the long-period average) is predicted in the country in May. Normal to above normal rainfall is likely over most parts of northwest India, and some parts of central, peninsular and northeast India. Below-normal precipitation is likely in the remaining parts of the country, the IMD said.

Alerts Sounded, Poll Timing Revised, Temperature Over 45 Deg C | Key Points From Across States

To deal with the heatwave, several states have taken measures in a bid to give some relief to the residents. Revision of school timings, preponement of summer vacations for schoolchildren, extension of voting time in Lok Sabha elections are some of the steps taken across states in view of heat waves.

Here are some of top weather updates from across states:

• Heatwave In Bengal Likely Till May 5: The Met department on Wednesday said heatwave conditions are very likely to continue till May 5 over south Bengal, which has been reeling under a scorching sun with Kalaikunda recording the state's highest temperature at 45.2 degrees Celsius.

• Delhi's Max Temp 5 Deg C Below Normal: Delhi's maximum temperature on Wednesday dropped to 33.7 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal, according to the IMD. On Tuesday, the capital recorded a maximum temperature of 36.5 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal.

• Red Alert In Karnataka: A red alert denoting severe heatwave has been issued for six districts of Karnataka by the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), as temperatures are likely to cross 46 degrees Celsius. Bagalkote, Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri and Koppal districts will see temperatures ranging from 40 to 46 degrees Celsius between May 1 and May 9, according to KSNDMC.

• 47 Deg In Jharkhand's Baharagora: Severe heatwave conditions gripped parts of Jharkhand on Tuesday with Baharagora in East Singhbhum district recording a maximum temperature of 47.1 degrees Celsius.

• Orange Alert In Parts of Kerala: The IMD on Tuesday issued an orange alert in the Palakkad district of Kerala for the second consecutive day due to the possibility of a heatwave there till May 2. The IMD also issued a yellow alert in Alappuzha, Thrissur and Kozhikode districts due to the possibility of heatwaves there as well during the same period.

• Telangana Polling Time Revised: The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday increased the polling time for the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana by an hour in view of heatwave conditions prevailing in the state. The new timing would be 7 am to 6 pm against the earlier 7 am to 5 pm.

• Highest-Ever Temperature In TN's Ooty: Udhagamandalam, popularly known as the Queen of Hills in Tamil Nadu and known for its pleasant weather, does not appear to be a cool respite this summer. Ooty recorded its highest-ever temperature of 29 degree Celsius on April 29 and this was 5.4 degrees above the average temperature for Udhagamandalam, says Additional Director General, Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, S Balachandran. The previous all-time high temperature of 28.5 degree Celsius was recorded on April 29, 1986.

Why Are Bengal, Odisha Experiencing Such Hot Weather

India saw two spells of heatwaves in April — from April 5 to 7 and April 15 to 30. IMD's Mohapatra attributed the prolonged heatwave spell over east, northeast, and south peninsular India in April to the absence of thunderstorms and a persisting anticyclone at lower levels over the west central Bay of Bengal and the adjoining eastern coasts of India.

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This caused the sea breeze to cut off over Odisha and West Bengal on most days, he said.

The IMD said south peninsular India recorded an average maximum temperature of 31 degrees Celsius in April, which was the second-highest since 1901. The mean temperature (28.12 degrees Celsius) in April in east and northeast India was the highest since 1901, the weather office said.

The IMD chief said above normal maximum temperatures have become frequent over south peninsular India since 1980s. The region recorded 12.6 mm of rainfall in April, which was the fifth lowest since 1901 and the second lowest since 2001.

Mohapatra said the number of heatwave days this April was the highest in 15 years in Gangetic West Bengal and nine years in Odisha. Odisha also experienced the longest heatwave spell (16 days) in April since 2016.

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Amid the prevailing but weakening El Nino conditions, the IMD had earlier warned of extreme heat during the April-June period, coinciding with the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections.