Weather office warns of a hot summer in most regions till Jun
Most regions of the country will witness hotter-than-normal temperature during AprilJune, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned, as India prepared for a sevenphase general election from 19 April onwards.
Above-normal heatwaves are likely in central and western peninsular regions. Gujarat, central Maharashtra, north Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, north Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh are likely to bear the brunt of heat waves, said IMD director-general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Monday.
He warned of 10 to 20 days of heat waves in different parts of the country during this period—against a normal of four to eight days.
The likely weather condition could be due to El Nino that will continue till May before subsiding June. Towards the second half of the monsoon season (July-September), La Nina conditions are expected, Mohaparisks tra informed.
However, normal to belownormal maximum temperatures will likely be recorded over some parts of the western Himalayan region, northeastern states and north Odisha.
In April, above-normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country with a high probability over central south India. Normal to below-normal maximum temperatures are likely over some parts of the western Himalayan region and the northeastern states in April.
Heatwaves pose significant
to the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing health conditions, of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Additionally, prolonged periods of extreme heat can lead to dehydration and also strain infrastructure like power grids and transportation systems.
Experts said authorities must take proactive measures, including providing access to cooling centres, and issuing heat advisories in affected areas. They also pointed to the need for safeguarding public health and minimizing the adverse impacts of heatwaves during election days from 19 April and 1 June.
The ministry of earth science and the national disaster management authority along with ministries of jal shakti, power, health and agriculture have come up with a heat action plan at the city or district level to ensure citizens can cast their votes seamlessly.
The ministry of agriculture said the main winter or rabi crop wheat is unlikely to get hit in key regions, including Madhya Pradesh, due to the extreme heatwaves as 90% harvesting is done.