Life threatening heatwave arrives early across India

Much of East India continues to struggle with unusually hot and dry weather conditions. Severe heatwave conditions are also prevailing in parts of West Bengal and Odisha. We are just half way through April and temperatures have already surpassed the 45 degree mark. As had been predicted much earlier, the year 2016 is definitely turning out to be the hottest on record.

Dry northwesterly winds are prevailing across the pocket of heatwave comprising of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana and adjoining Chhattisgarh region.

There is little hope that the mercury will come down by April 17 as a cyclonic circulation is likely to develop over Jharkhand and adjoining Bihar. It may bring some rain and thundershowers over the region.

Here’s a look at the day temperatures recorded on April 12 in several states of India:

Heat has already claimed dozens of lives in the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Click here to read the story, Heatwave kills 111 in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, no relief likely 

 

The city of Bhubaneswar in Orisha experienced its hottest April day on April 11, with the mercury soaring at 45.8°C.

Click here to read the full story, Temporary relief in Bhubaneswar from the deadly heat 

This time around peak of summer arrived rather earlier and more widely than normal. Such life-threatening temperature levels are generally witnessed towards the fag end of April into May.

Image credit - The Wall Street Journal