India gets its first heat-wave forecast

India can now forecast heat waves, warn regions prone to extremely hot days and bring down casualties, with a firstever, real-time forecast technology developed by the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).

The forecast will be released every five days and can predict how hot the next 20 days will be. The first forecast was released on April 12. IITM said it will predict heat waves till the end of June, when the monsoon brings down temperatures.

“Last year, more than 2,500 people died because of heat waves across the country. This is also a calamity caused by weather and is as important as drought and flood.

This year, the ministry of earth sciences has embarked on forecasting heat wave conditions,” said AK Sahai, a senior scientist at IITM.

Heat waves or severe heat waves occur when excessively hot weather, beyond a threshold temperature, continues over a prolonged period.

The forecast for April 12 to April 16 says eastern Uttar Pradesh, south interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Rayalseema are likely to face heat wave conditions. Between April 17 and April 21, heat wave conditions are likely to prevail over parts of northwest and central India — Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal — and parts of the southern peninsula, including Telangana and Rayalseema.

CONTINUED ON P12

ARIJIT SEN/ HT Mumbaiites shield themselves from the summer heat at Bandra station on Wednesday.