Intense heatwave conditions have been affecting most parts of India for quite some time now. Temperatures have been on the constant rise. Each day a heat record is broken. While every year, a few spells of rain would break the heat curse, this year things have been different. But why is India under the grip of severe heatwave conditions so soon? And why is there no respite from this situation?
During the month of April, temperatures begin to rise by a few notches over several parts of the country. However, many areas in the country observe high maximums including Marathwada, Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.
The heat remains unbearable, and at some places maximums even reach the 40-degree mark. However, Pre-Monsoon showers make an appearance as a blessing in disguise.
Whenever temperatures reach a few degrees above the normal levels, due to available moisture and thundery clouds, some weather activity in the form of thunderstorm and dust storm bring down the temperatures.
East India in particular witnesses intense thunderstorm/thundershower activities due to Kal Baisakhi. During this period, winds are so strong that they reach a velocity of 80-90 kmph. These rains bring in some relief from the scorching weather conditions.
However, this year, any form of weather activity has remained absent. During the last few days, many areas have recorded temperatures above the 40-degree mark. So much so that several cities have been witnessing maximums above 45 degrees.
The reasons for these sectors being exceptionally hot can be attributed to dry weather conditions in these regions for over a month. Several states including Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu and many others have remained dry for quite some time now.
The strongest El Nino ever recorded which has been affecting the weather patterns across the globe has also kept the rains at bay. Barring Northeast India and the hills of North India, every region is dry. India has seen two failed Monsoons in a row. Now, no significant weather system has developed. The frequency of active Western Disturbances continues till date which also happens to be a rare phenomenon.
Generally, a Western Disturbance starts travelling in the upper latitudes by the end of March. These WDs also failed to cause an impact over the plains of North India, which is why several areas in Northwest India have also been witnessing sweltering weather conditions.
Coastal areas usually remain comfortable. Typically, the East Coast receives south-easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal due to a formation of an anti-cyclone. This time, winds are blowing from the land in the form of south-westerly and westerly winds which are much hotter. Thus, the coastal region is also observing uncomfortable weather conditions.
For the rest of the month, no signs of a Pre-Monsoon activity is in sight. Conditions will remain unbearable, and temperatures will continue to be on the rise.
Image Credit: aljazeera.com
