Heatwave to Continue in Delhi, Odisha, UP, Rajasthan, Haryana:IMD

Amidst the intense heatwave spells being recorded in the north-west and Central parts of the country for the last three weeks, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday predicted that the heatwave is likely to prevail in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, parts of Rajasthan, Central parts of Odisha and Jharkhand till June 8.

New Delhi:The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday predicted that heatwave conditions are likely to prevail in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, parts of Rajasthan and in the Central parts of Odisha and Jharkhand for the next five days. Delhi has been reeling under the scorching heat for the last three weeks while the temperature in the national capital has even touched temperature close to 50 degrees Celsius.

On Monday, the maximum temperature in the national capital is expected to be around 44 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert in the city, which will remain in effect until Tuesday.

Similarly, private weather agency Skymet observed that on May 29, the base observatory at Safdarjung recorded 46.8 degrees Celsius, the highest in the last 79 years and about 6 degrees Celsius above the normal.

Heatwave in these states

According to the IMD, heatwave conditions are likely to persist in some parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on June 3-4; West Rajasthan from June 3-7, in isolated pockets of Jammu Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and East Madhya Pradesh on June 3 and Odisha on June 4-5.

Similarly, the state of Jharkhand is likely to witness a heatwave from June 4-7, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi on June 5 and Bihar on June 6-7.

"Hot and humid weather very likely to prevail over isolated pockets of Odisha during June 4-7, Bihar from June 3-5, Konkan & Goa on June 3 and Gangetic West Bengal on June 6-7," it added.

Heatwave deaths

India has recorded 56 deaths from 24,849 suspected cases of heat stroke between March and May, according to data from the Union Health Ministry. According to the data compiled by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 46 of these deaths were recorded till May 30.

On Friday, at least 33 people, including election officials, died of suspected heatstroke in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha during the elections. Several reports have claimed that near about 50 deaths have been reported in the central state of Odisha in the last 24 hours taking the death toll in the State to 141 on Sunday.

Odisha is the worst-hit state in terms of heat-related deaths. Meanwhile, the Met Office said heatwave is likely to persist in Odisha for two more days. Heatwave condition is expected to occur in parts of Bargarh, Balangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada and Sonepur districts on Monday.