IMD warns of heat wave till June 14 for northwest
Extreme heat is impacting several high altitude areas in the Himalayas with several stations recording heat wave conditions for the past 4-5 days
Extreme heat is impacting several high altitude areas in the Himalayas with several stations recording heat wave conditions for the past 4-5 days, India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said on Thursday.
According to officials, the spike in temperatures over the hills and northern plains was mainly due to high solar insolation in the absence of cloud cover. Such conditions were reported in several stations including Qazigund, Kokernag, Srinagar, Banihal, Jammu, Kathua, Batote in Jammu & Kashmir; and Una, Bhuntar and Manali in Himachal Pradesh.
“This is mainly due to clear skies and direct sunshine and possibly dry winds,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, climate and meteorology at Skymet Weather.
Temperatures were 6.5°C above the normal in several areas of Jammu, Arunachal Pradesh, and central Assam, the Met department said.
The maximum temperature in Arunachal Pradesh’s capital Itanagar reached 39.7°C — highest ever recorded for June, IMD said, adding that maximum temperatures remained near 40°C in many stations across Assam. The maximum temperature on Thursday reached 33.2°C in Barapani in Meghalaya — second highest recorded for June; 29°C in Shillong and 28.9°C in Sohra (Cherrapunji) — fifth highest for both places for June.
Maximum temperatures hovered between 43°C and 46°C in some places in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, south Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, southeast Uttar Pradesh, Jammu, Kutch; between 40°C and 42°C over north Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, remaining Gujarat, and southwest Bihar adjoining Jharkhand.
Over the plains, Ganganagar in Rajasthan recorded the highest temperature at 47.8°C; Sirsa in Haryana recorded 47.4°C; Bathinda in Punjab recorded 46.8°C among others.
Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are likely to continue over Northwest India, including the Western Himalayan region, over the next two days and reduce thereafter, the weather department said on Thursday.
Heat wave conditions are likely to affect many/some places over Himachal Pradesh and East Rajasthan till June 14, with severe heat wave conditions in some parts, according to IMD. Heat wave conditions is also likely at many/some places over West Rajasthan till June 15, with severe heat wave conditions at isolated/some parts till June 14.
Similar conditions are very likely to affect some/many places over Jammu & Kashmir, West Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi till June 14, East Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh on June 13, it added.
IMD also forecast hot and humid weather over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar on June 13 and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura on June 14. Warm night conditions are likely in isolated pockets over Punjab, Haryana, West Rajasthan, West Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh among others, it said.
The Met department declares a heat wave when the maximum temperature is above 40°C over the plains; above 37°C over coastal areas and above 30°C over hilly regions, even as the deviation from normal is between 4.5°C and 6.4°C above the average maximum.
If these conditions persist for two consecutive days, a heat wave is declared on the second day. A severe heat wave is declared when the deviation is more than 6.4°C above normal.
Meanwhile, monsoon has not advanced since May 29 and the northern limit of the monsoon continues to pass through Mumbai, Ahilyanagar, Adilabad, Bhawanipatna, Puri, Sandhead Island and Balurghat. Conditions are favourable for further advancement of southwest monsoon over some more parts of central and adjoining east India (including some more parts of Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and Odisha) during next 48 hours, IMD said.
The normal date for monsoon to reach the Capital is June 27. Monsoon then advances further north and westwards and by June 30 covers more parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh, most parts of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), and parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and east Rajasthan. It then covers remaining areas of northwest India by July 9.
