Parts of Delhi sizzle at 45°C, no quick respite likely: IMD

HEATWAVE CONDITIONS ARE VERY LIKELY OVER RAJASTHAN AND WEST MP DURING THE NEXT FIVE DAYS, WITH SEVERE HEATWAVES IN SOME POCKETS OVER WEST RAJASTHAN

nNEW DELHI: Several Indian cities faced heat wave conditions with maximum temperature hovering over 45 degrees Celsius on Friday and no respite is expected in the next few days.

Heat wave conditions gripped Palam and Lodhi Road in Delhi with the two weather stations recording maximum temperatures of 45.4 degrees C and 44.4 degrees Celsius respectively, five degrees above normal. The Safdarjung weather station also recorded the highest maximum temperature for the season at 43.8 degrees Celsius, four degrees above normal.

“We cannot expect any relief from hot weather in northwest India till May 27. The maximum temperature will range from 42 to 45 degrees Celsius. Around May 29, a western disturbance is likely to cause clouding. The dry hot north-westerly winds and clear skies are leading to maximum temperatures peaking,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre, Delhi. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its Friday bulletin, said on Thursday the highest maximum temperature was recorded at 46 degrees C in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam while the highest maximum temperature on Friday was recorded at Churu in west Rajasthan at 46.2 degrees C.

Heat wave conditions are very likely over Rajasthan and West Madhya Pradesh during the next five days with severe heat waves in some pockets over West Rajasthan during the next 24 hours. Heat wave conditions are likely over parts of peninsular India and Vidarbha during next three or four days; over East Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh after 24 hours and over southern parts of Uttar Pradesh after 48 hours. The worst health impacts of the heat wave will be borne by migrant workers who are headed home on foot or by other transport, experts said.

According to National Disaster Management Authority, around 2.3 million migrant workers have travelled by train between May 12 and May 21, the data for those walking back or travelling in buses cannot be estimated said, Pawan Kumar Singh, joint advisor, national disaster management authority (NDMA). Many workers are also walking back to their villages from train stations.

“They are vulnerable to heat strokes if they are walking. They will have to drink a lot of water and take rest frequently,” said Dilip Mavlankar, Gandhinagar’s Indian Institute of Public Health director.

Even, prominent hill stations including Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie of Himachal saw warmer than usual days as temperatures increased by two degrees on Friday. Himachal’s director, Meteorological Department Dr Manmohan Singh said the maximum temperatures are very likely to increase in the coming days and are very likely going to be more than 40 degrees in lower hills of the state.