Heat
New Delhi: Summer is once again wreaking havoc. Several parts of north-western India were thrashed by scorching heat on Friday with the maximum temperature in Delhi’s Najafgarh reaching 47.4 degrees Celsius, the highest in the country so far this season. The mercury crossed 45 degrees Celsius at 19 places in Rajasthan, 18 in Haryana, eight in Delhi and two places in Punjab. Heat wave is likely to continue in the plains of north-western India during the next five days. Researchers from Climate Central, a US-based group of climate scientists, said 543 million people in India will experience at least one day of extreme heat during this period.
Temperature crosses 47 in Najafgarh and Sirsa
Heat wave conditions are considered when the maximum temperature reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas and 30 degrees Celsius in the hilly areas and is at least 4.5 degrees Celsius above normal. “Human-caused climate change makes this extreme heat wave more likely,” said Andrew Pershing, vice president of science at Climate Central. The maximum temperature at night makes this phenomenon particularly worrying.” On Friday, the maximum temperature reached 47.4 degrees Celsius in Najafgarh and 47.1 degrees Celsius in Sirsa, Haryana.
Maximum mercury in Una 43.2 degrees Celsius
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data till 7:30 pm, Najafgarh was the hottest place in the country. Earlier, the maximum temperature of 47.2 degrees Celsius was recorded at Kalaikunda in the Gangetic West Bengal region on April 30. In Delhi, the mercury was 46.5 degrees in Mungeshpur, 46.2 degrees in Ayanagar, 45.9 degrees in Pusa and Jafarpur, 45.8 degrees in Pitampura and 45.1 degrees in Palam. At the same time, the temperature has increased in the lower and central hills of Himachal and the maximum temperature reached 43.2 degrees Celsius in Una of the state, which was the hottest area of the state.
Alert for 18 to 21 May
IMD has said in its forecast for Delhi that on Saturday, there may be strong surface wind at a speed of 25 to 35 km per hour during the day and the sky may remain mainly clear. IMD warned that severe heat wave conditions are likely in parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi during May 18-21. Heat wave may prevail again in eastern and central India from Saturday. The weather office issued a red alert for western Rajasthan, stressing the need for “extreme care for vulnerable people”.
The IMD issued an orange alert for Haryana, Punjab, East Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat and expressed “high health concern” for vulnerable people, including infants, the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. The department has warned that there is a possibility of people falling ill due to prolonged exposure to sunlight or doing heavy work in the open. The weather office had predicted in May that heat wave conditions may last longer than normal in the northern plains and central India. (Language)
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