While India Meteorological Department in its -five-day forecast has predicted that heatwave conditions will continue to prevail over many parts of Gangetic West Bengal, the sizzling temperatures in Odisha and Jharkhand have led to the state governments declaring early summer vacation or changing timings for schools.
Heatwave has hit parts of the country hard with temperatures soaring to over 45 degrees Celsius in some states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and no relief in sight for them. While India Meteorological Department in its -five-day forecast has predicted that heatwave conditions will continue to prevail over many parts of Gangetic West Bengal, the sizzling temperatures in Odisha and Jharkhand have led to the state governments declaring early summer vacation or changing timings for schools.
In Delhi-NCR, meanwhile, weather remained relatively pleasant with some parts receiving rainfall in the wee hours of Monday. For Mumbai, the IMD has issued a yellow alert, cautioning residents about the onset of hot and humid weather conditions which are expected to persist until Thursday.
No heat wave conditions are expected in the national capital for next seven days, as per the IMD. Heatwave conditions are applied when the maximum temperature is near or above 40 degrees Celsius and the departure is 4.5 degrees Celsius or more from normal, according to the IMD.
Dr Naresh Kumar, a senior scientist at IMD, said that a heatwave is currently affecting East India, and it’s anticipated to persist in some states for the next 4-5 days. He added that a red alert for heatwave to severe heatwave has been issued for West Bengal.
“The temperature is 6.5 to 4 degrees higher than normal. Along with this, the minimum temperature is also higher than normal. From tomorrow, we predict that there will be a slight drop in the temperature, and after that Orange alert has been given for 4 days,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying.
Heatwave conditions will continue to prevail over many parts of Gangetic West Bengal, with severe heatwave in isolated pockets, the Meteorological department said in its five-day forecast as large areas in the region sizzled under the scorching sun on Sunday.
Several places in south Bengal recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius on Sunday as Panagarh in Paschim Bardhaman district notched up the highest mercury mark in the state at 45.1 deg C, which is 8.3 counts above the normal, it said.
The weather office forecast heatwave conditions over many parts of Gangetic West Bengal, with severe heatwave in isolated pockets till April 25.
It said that heatwave to severe heatwave conditions prevailed at a few places in Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Hooghly, Paschim Bardhaman and North 24 Parganas districts on Sunday.
Heatwave conditions prevailed at one or two places in Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia, Birbhum, South 24 Parganas, Purba Bardhaman and Purulia district, the Meteorological department said. Kolkata and the neighbouring satellite township of Salt Lake recorded the day's highest temperature at 40.3 deg C, the MeT department said.
On Monday, the meteorological department said 17 places in Odisha recorded a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius or above during the day, with Bhubaneswar becoming the hottest city in the state. During the day, the mercury level rose to 43.8 deg C in Bhubaneswar, the state capital, followed by 42.9 deg C in Paralakhemundi town and 42.6 deg C in Baripada.
The IMD centre in Bhubaneswar said some places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal were likely to experience hot and humid weather conditions on Tuesday, it said.
Thunderstorms with lightning was also expected in Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, and Sundargarh on April 23, it said.
Meanwhile, state public health director Niranjan Mishra said 89 people from 16 districts have been admitted to hospitals for heat stroke-related illness during this summer season. Sundergarh district reported the highest number of such hospitalisation cases at 41, followed by Khurda (12), Angul (9), Mayurbhanj and Jharsuguda (7 each) and Sambalpur (5), he said.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government on Sunday announced summer vacation for school students from April 25 given the prevailing intense heatwave conditions in the state. In a statement, the state government said all schools, including those run by government, government-aided and private, will remain closed from April 25.
The government has also announced morning classes from 6.30 am to 10.30 am in schools for three days from April 22 to April 24. Earlier, the state had ordered the closure of all schools in the state for three days from April 18 to 20 after a severe heatwave situation during which the temperature rose to above 45 degrees Celsius, in the state.
Odisha reeled under intense heat wave conditions on Sunday as well, with the maximum temperature of 44.6 degrees Celsius recorded at Baripada town in Mayurbhanj.
The IMD centre had issued heatwave Orange Warning (be prepared) for Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Boudh, Nuapada, Sundargarh, Bargarh, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Sonepur, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Angul, Khurda, and Cuttack districts for Monday, April 22.
While Delhi-NCR remained pleasant as on Monday with parts of the region having received rainfall in the wee hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has raised a yellow alert for Mumbai and Thane, cautioning residents about the onset of hot and humid weather conditions expected to persist until Thursday.
Despite temperatures staying around 35 degrees Celsius, Mumbaikars are bracing themselves for discomfort owing to soaring humidity levels, worsening the already sweltering conditions.
“The citizens will be experiencing hot, humid conditions and uncomfortable weather conditions, even though the temperature will remain in the range of 34 – 35 degree Celsius, owing to the high levels of humidity. We are witnessing such discomfort because of the blowing westerlies which bring in a lot of moisture. The presence of this moisture thereby leads to an increase in the humidity levels,” Sunil Kamble, director of IMD Mumbai, said, speaking to The Indian Express.
In Delhi, the maximum temperature on Monday settled at 37.6 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year, according to the India Meteorological Department. Delhi on Tuesday recorded a minimum temperature of 22.6 degrees Celsius, again normal.
No heat wave conditions are expected in the national capital for next seven days, the IMD said.
The weather office predicted a clear sky with strong winds during the daytime on Tuesday, with maximum temperature likely to settle around 38 degrees Celsius.
A severe heatwave has gripped parts of Bihar as well, with conditions expected to remain same for the next few days, as per the IMD. In view of the rising temperatures, the district administration of Patna has changed the timings of schools from Saturday.
According to an order issued by Shirsat Kapil Ashok, the district magistrate of Patna, "all schools in the state capital are instructed to change the timings... from 6.30 am to 11.30 am".