Intense heatwave engulfs India, marginal relief likely

April 2, 2017 5:45 PM | Skymet Weather Team

Heatwave has tightened its grip over India as early as in March itself, this year. Mercury has been soaring to new levels every day, with several cities witnessing record breaking day maximums.

Heatwave has claimed two lives so far, while millions of other are on risk of heat related incidents. Moreover, worst is yet to come as we proceed further in the summer season. But marginal relief is in store as only the pockets of South Uttar Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Madhya Maharashtra, South Bihar and Jharkhand and parts of southwest West Bengal will see heatwave conditions.

Reportedly, two people in Maharashtra died due to heatstroke. Threat of dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke looms large over millions of people and animals as day maximums will continue to settle over 40°C nearly all of India through at least early next week.

Having said that, heatwave from parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh is most likely to go away but temperatures will still be around the 40-degrees mark.

Northeast India and hilly states of North India are only exception at present, which are witnessing pre-Monsoon rains and thundershowers.

Let us have a look at the heatwave status region-wise:

Central India: The region remains worst affected so far, especially Maharashtra. Temperatures have been settling between 42°C to 44°C over most parts of the state. In fact, couple of days back, coastal areas were also reeling under heatwave like conditions as mercury was settling in higher 30s.

Heatwave have recently gripped more parts of Madhya Pradesh, along with Interior Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Temperatures are reaching up to 42-43°C over several areas of the region.

Meanwhile, change in wind pattern over Rajasthan and Gujarat may give some marginal relief by dropping the day temperatures by a degree or two.

North India: Temperatures over northern plains may have not reached above 42-degree mark but are appreciably above normal by 4-6 degrees. In wake of hot and dry northwesterly blowing uninterruptedly over the region, day maximums are settling around 38°C over most of the region and are even reaching 40°C at some places.

Normally, day maximums settle in the range of 32°C to 35°C during this time of the year over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi-NCR and West Uttar Pradesh.

Even the lower regions of hilly states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are also recorded day maximums in mid 30s.

Moreover, this is the only region of the country which will be witnessing some relief during the latter parts of the following week. We can expect some rain and thundershowers over the region from April 4 onwards.

East India: Jharkhand, South Bihar, East Uttar Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal are the recent addition in the ambit of heatwave. Mercury has been settling beyond 42°C, leading to unbearable weather conditions.

Any relief in form of any pre-Monsoon activity will be short-lived and will not have any impact on the rising mercury.

Any information taken from here should be credited to skymetweather.com

 

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