New Delhi, May 19 (IANS). Extreme heat and heatwave continue to rage in most parts of the country. Temperature is continuously increasing in many states, due to which the Government of India is continuously issuing advisories. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the temperature in New Delhi today was recorded at 42 degrees Celsius.
An interesting historical coincidence is also associated with this hot day. On this day i.e. 19 May 1743, French scientist Jean Pierre Christen developed the Centigrade (Celsius) temperature scale, which we still use today.
Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius first presented this scale in the year 1742. Initially he set the boiling temperature of water at 0 °C and the freezing temperature at 100 °C, but this scale was later reversed. At standard atmospheric pressure, the melting point of pure ice i.e. freezing point is considered to be 0 degree Celsius and the boiling point of pure water i.e. boiling point is considered to be 100 degree Celsius.
The word ‘centigrade’ means divided into 100 parts. It was named so because of the 100 degree difference between the freezing and boiling temperatures of water. In the year 1948 it was officially named ‘Celsius’.
According to scientists, the simplicity and accuracy of the Celsius scale has made it the most popular temperature scale around the world. This temperature scale becomes even more relevant when the country is in the grip of a heatwave. The Meteorological Department, Health Ministry and AYUSH Ministry all use the Celsius scale to alert people. This scale is widely used not only in weather reporting, but also in the fields of science, industry, medicine, food safety and engineering.
Major uses of the Celsius scale include weather forecasting and heatwave warnings, control of industrial processes, cooking and food safety, scientific experimentation and research, as well as engineering design.
–IANS
MT/AS