The India Meteorological Department had forecast that the temperature in New Delhi would reach 41.8 degrees Celsius (107.2 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday, nearly eight degrees above normal.
The northwestern parts of India are reeling under severe heatwave for the last couple of days. The states that are witnessing extreme weather conditions are Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Higher temperatures also were felt in relatively cooler regions like Kashmir and Uttarakhand, agency reports says.
The India Meteorological Department had forecast that the temperature in New Delhi would reach 41.8 degrees Celsius (107.2 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday, nearly eight degrees above normal. A heat-wave condition is declared when the temperature is at least 4.5 C (8 F) above average.
April, May and June are always excruciatingly hot in most parts of India before monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures. But this year, the heat wave has arrived early and grown particularly intense.
Vimal Mishra, an expert at the Indian Institute of Technology’s Water and Climate Lab, told AFP, the number of Indian states hit by heat waves has grown in recent years.
“If you are looking for the clearest signal of climate change in India, then heat waves are a classic example. They are unavoidable and will occur more frequently,” Mishra said.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that heat waves and humidity-related heat stress will intensify in South Asia, and scientists who study climate change say Indians can expect more of the same hot temperatures in the coming years.
Heat waves are especially dangerous for daily wage workers, rickshaw drivers, street vendors and the homeless, many of whom have to work outside in hot conditions and are at the greatest risk
India’s worst heat wave since 1992 was in 2015, when at least 2,081 people died.
Keylong sees hottest day after 10 years
Another report says that Keylong in Himachal Pradesh recorded the highest temperature at 19.8 degree on Sunday, breaking the 10-year-old record of April 20, 2012, when mercury had risen to 19.6 degree Celsius.
There was no respite from scorching heat in lower hills also. Una in the Shivalik foothills recorded a high of 41.6 degree Celsius, 7.7 degree above normal, while mercury breached 30 degree mark at Sundernagar, Mandi and Hamirpur and Shimla. Manali recorded maximum temperature at 27.2 degree and 27 degree C.
The dry spell continued and the rain deficit was almost 100 per cent in most of the districts.
The local MeT office has warned of thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places over lower and middle hills and predicted rain and thundershower at isolated places in plains from April 12 to 14.
Rain and thunderstorm at many places in middle and higher hills on April 13 and moderate rains and snow in higher hills on April 15 and 16 has also been predicted.
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