The weather office predicted that heatwave conditions are likely to continue in the northern parts of the country including, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh for the next few days.
A red alert has been issued in Rajasthan and Haryana amid the extreme heat while an orange alert has been issued in Punjab for next two days, a senior IMD scientist said
“The maximum temperature was in West Rajasthan’s Phalodi, 51 degrees. The next 3-4 days will be the same in Rajasthan and we have issued a red alert. After that, there will be a gradual decrease in temperature. In Haryana too, we have issued a red alert… For Punjab, it is an orange alert for 2 days and then a red alert is issued,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department took to X and said, “Heatwave to a severe heat wave is very likely over many parts of Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh on May 27, 2024.”
The ‘red’ warning has been issued for Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat, indicating a “very high likelihood” of heat illness and heatstroke for all age groups.
The IMD also said that warm night conditions could further exacerbate heat-related stress in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan over the next four days.
Temperatures soared to a sweltering 50 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan’s Phalodi on Sunday. This comes as a brutal heatwave can be witnessed through large parts of India.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), 50 degrees Celsius is the highest temperature recorded in the country since June 1, 2019, when Churu, also in Rajasthan, logged a scorching 50.8 degrees Celsius.
Before this, Phalodi hit India’s all-time high temperature of 51 degrees Celsius on May 19, 2016.
In Rajasthan, temperatures soared to 48.8 degrees Celsius in Barmer, 48 degrees in Jaisalmer, and 47.2 degrees in Bikaner, prompting the state’s disaster management department to direct district collectors to make necessary arrangements to provide relief to people, animals, and birds from the heat.
Official data showed that at least 17 places in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh recorded maximum temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius or above on Saturday.
The extreme heat will continue in parts of Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra until May 29. The searing heat will also affect the hills of Himachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya.
According to the World Health Organisation, more than 1,66,000 people died as a result of heat waves between 1998 and 2017.
India reported 3,812 deaths due to heat waves between 2015 and 2022, with Andhra Pradesh alone logging 2,419 fatalities, the government told the Parliament in July last year.
(with PTI inputs)
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