Thunderstorm likely to hit north in next 2 days
NEWDELHI:EVEN as heat wave like conditions prevailed in parts of western India on Saturday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted thunderstorm accompanied by squall in north western Himalayan states of Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh in the next two days.
The IMD said thunderstorm and its subsequent effects on plains in north India is due to a new western disturbance from Sunday. Western disturbance originates in the Mediterranean Sea that brings sudden rains to northwestern parts of India.
The department said that heat wave conditions prevailed in parts of Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha region.
The IMD’S Nagpur division issued a severe heat wave warning for Chandrapur district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra for Saturday and Sunday. On Friday, Chandrapur recorded the highest maximum temperature in the country at 47.3 degrees Celsius. Other areas in Vidarbha such as Akola, Amravati, Nagpur, Wardha and Yavatmal are expected to experience heat wave conditions for the next five days from Saturday.
In several cities in Gujarat, the temperature crossed the 44 degrees mark on Saturday leading to local municipal bodies declaring alerts for residents to stay indoors during afternoon.
On Saturday, Surendranagar in Saurashtra peninsula was the hottest place in Gujarat, recording 44.3°C, followed by Ahmedabad which recorded 44°C.
“Due to flow of westerly to north westerly winds, Gujarat will see the maximum temperature rising by one to two degrees. Temperatures may also reach close to 45 degrees in parts of Surendranagar, Idar and Amreli”, said IMD Gujarat Director Jayanta Sarkar.
In Rajasthan, temperatures in several places such as Chiru and Jaisalmer crossed the 45 degrees mark even as the local weather office declared heat wave like conditions and advised people to stay indoors.
In Haryana, the temperature in Hisar touched 44°C. The temperature in many places of Uttar Pradesh such as Banda and Jhansi crossed 44°C. Chandigarh recorded the hottest day of the year on Saturday with maximum temperature of 40.6°C.
The National Disaster Management Authority Saturday conducted a meeting with 17 heat wave prone states to review their preparedness and mitigation measures. NDMA member RK Jain requested the states to run awareness campaigns in local languages to educate people on simple ways to mitigate impact of heat waves and lightning.