INDIA BRACES FOR SCORCHING HEAT IN APRIL-JUNE

Wed 03 April 2024:

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday said the South Asian country will face extreme heat from April to June.

“During April to June hot weather season, above normal heatwave days are likely to occur over most parts of south peninsula, central India, east India and plains of northwest India,” IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.

The IMD said that during heatwaves, elevated temperatures would pose significant risks, especially to vulnerable populations like the elderly, children and those with pre-existing health conditions, who are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

The IMD’s warning comes at a time when the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation warned recently that 2024 will likely be worse in terms of heat after global heat records across the world, including in Asia and India, were broken over last year – which was the hottest year on record.

The forecast for heat waves between April and June this year reveals that the number of heat wave days will be above normal, especially in areas such as Gujarat, central Maharashtra and north Karnataka followed by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, north Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, he added.

Ten to 20 days of heat waves are expected in different parts of the country as against a normal of four to eight days, his presentation showed.

“Overall, the entire area of central India, north India and north peninsula are expected to have an above normal number of days of heat waves,” Mohapatra said.

“Additionally, prolonged periods of extreme heat can lead to dehydration and strain infrastructure such as power grids and transportation systems,” the weather agency said.

It has urged authorities to take proactive steps to alleviate the impact.

“To address these challenges, it is imperative for authorities to take proactive measures. This includes providing access to cooling centers, issuing heat advisories, and implementing strategies to alleviate urban heat island effects in affected areas,” it said.

Elections, the heat, and preparing for both

India is “rapidly witnessing” numerous extreme weather events, Union minister Kiren Rjijju said at the virtual press con. “As there is [a] projection of extreme heat waves in the coming three months, all the stakeholders including the state governments made elaborate preparations…”

The IMD’s and other institutes’ projections reveal that “this year we are likely to encounter extreme weather difficulties, specially end of April, May and June … these are going to be very difficult times”, said Rijiju while addressing the press conference.

But on the other hand, the country is going to elections at the same time, he added.

Close to a billion people will be voting and this “will be very challenging”; the time, especially after the second and third phases, will be “very difficult for all of us”, he said, stressing the need to be prepared.

The Union ministry along with several stakeholders will take several precautionary methods to not only face the extreme weather conditions but also to enable people to take part in the electoral process, he added.

He appealed that all voters go to polling stations and cast their votes despite the situation being such that the elections will be held during “the most difficult weather conditions that we will witness this year”.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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