Heatwave likely to grip Delhi and northwest India, mercury set to soar: IMD
Maximum temperatures are likely to rise by 2-3 degrees over northwest India in the next three days and fall by 2-3 degree after that
Heatwave conditions are likely to impact some parts of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, south Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand till April 20, India Meteorological Department warned on Sunday.
The maximum temperatures were above normal by 3-5 degree Celsius in many parts over Jammu, Punjab, West Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand; in some parts over east Uttar Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal and in isolated pockets over Haryana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, east Rajasthan, Saurashtra and Kutch.
Maximum temperatures are likely to rise by 2-3 degrees over northwest India in the next three days and fall by 2-3 degree after that. Heatwave conditions are also likely over Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha till April 20.
There is a 90% rainfall deficiency over northwest India during the pre-monsoon season so far which started on March 1. East Uttar Pradesh has received no rain during the period while west Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi subdivisions recorded 99% rain deficiency. Himachal Pradesh recorded 94% rain deficiency; Jammu and Kashmir 90%; West Rajasthan 81% and east Rajasthan recorded 44% rain deficiency.
The rainfall deficiency over the country is 35%, with 27% excess over south peninsula, 14% excess over east and northeast India, 81% deficiency over central India and 90% deficiency over northwest India. As far as states are concerned, Delhi has a 99% rain deficiency
Though a western disturbance affected western Himalayas and adjoining plains of northwest India on April 12, which caused scattered rainfall on April 12 and 13, major parts of northwest India continued to remain dry. Clouding and light winds, however, managed to relieve heatwave conditions in parts of northwest India.
“We are expecting heatwave conditions to impact isolated areas of Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab from today. But there is a light wind so severe heat wave is unlikely,” said RK Jenamani, senior scientist, national weather forecasting centre, IMD.
Under the influence of a fresh western disturbance from the night of April 18, light but fairly widespread rainfall s likely over Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh; isolated to scattered rainfall over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during April 19 and 20 and light isolated rainfall over Punjab and north Rajasthan on April 19 and 20 and over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and west Uttar Pradesh on April 20 and 21.
Dust storms are likely at isolated places over west Rajasthan between April 17 and 20 and over east Rajasthan on April 19 and 20.
Between April 11 and 17, there have been 10,615 records of forest fire points in India, out of which 803 were in Uttarakhand, according to the Forest Survey of India.
“The fuel load is high. This means there is combustible biomass on the forest floor. Prolonged dry conditions are also leading to early leaves shedding. This in combination with excessive heat early in the season makes favourable conditions for spread of forest fires,” said Sunil Chandra, deputy director at the Forest Survey of India. “But most forest fires are man-made. The weather conditions are causing them to spread and flare up.”
A heatwave is declared when temperatures rise over 40 degrees Celsius and are 4.5 degrees higher than normal.
