Heat Waves, Warm Nights, Humid Weather Predicted in Several Parts of Country: IMD

In many states across the country, people are witnessing the scorching heat in the month of April and the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in its bulletin has been saying that heatwave is likely to continue in many states including Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha and a few others.

New Delhi: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a warning for heat waves, warm nights, and hot and humid weather for the next five days in parts of Karnataka, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.

According to the early morning bulletin from IMD, "heat wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets over North Interior Karnataka on 4 and 5 April; Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal during 4-8 April; Jharkhand, Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam during 4-6 April."

Due to the cyclonic circulation over north Bangladesh and another cyclonic circulation that lies over east Assam and neighbourhood in the lower tropospheric level, Arunachal Pradesh is likely to witness fairly widespread to widespread light/moderate rainfall/snowfall with isolated thunderstorms and lightning. While it also predicts, scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura from 4-10 April.

According to the seven-day forecast, Bihar, East and West Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and parts of Gujarat including March, Marathwada, and Punjab are likely to remain "dry".

Coastal-North-South interior Karnataka, Jharkhand, parts of Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chattisgarh, Telangana and parts of Kerala are likely to witness "isolated" rainfall in the coming seven days.

It is pertinent to note here that Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday while talking about the heatwave emphasised a realistic assessment of the scenario by creating a central database with inputs from states, including on deaths and cases.

"IMD has predicted El-Nino for this year and hence the probability of a heat wave is higher. IMD has said that the summer temperature will be higher than usual this time," Mandaviya said.

This year is an election year, and heat waves don't cause heat strikes, to avoid this I have a detailed review with the officers of IMD, Health Department & Disaster Management and asked to release an advisory to state governments on behalf of the central govt, " Mandaviya added.

While the heatwave is likely to prevail and the temperature is likely to increase at a time when India will be casting their votes, states/UTs have been advised to review health facility preparedness in terms of essential medicines, intravenous fluids, ice-packs, ORS, drinking water as well as IEC activity for the public.

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