With no rains in sight, Northwest India may not get any respite from the blistering heatwaves till May 28, as temperatures continue to surge across various states. Rajasthan’s Phalodi recorded a temperature of 49°C on Friday – this summer’s highest so far with a severe heatwave sweeping the desert state.
The mercury settled at 48.2℃ in Barmer – which recorded the highest temperature of 48.8℃ a day before, and 48.3℃ in Jaisalmer. The temperatures continue to hover around 44-47°C in many places across Rajasthan, amid intense heatwaves which have impacted Northwest India since May 17.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), these heatwaves have been predicted to continue across Rajasthan as well as some parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh till May 28. In fact, the temperatures are likely to rise by 2℃ in Rajasthan after May 25. The neighbouring states of West Uttar Pradesh and West Madhya Pradesh may also not get any relief as heatwave conditions are likely from May 26-28, as per the weather office.
A red alert for heatwaves has already been issued for Northwest India till May 28, necessitating urgent action across all states. The surging temperatures have taken a toll on people across all age groups, especially the workers who are either exposed to sun for a prolonged period or doing heavy work during the day.
Temperatures Around 44℃ In Delhi On Polling Day
No heatwave conditions were felt over the national capital on Friday, but there is a likelihood of heatwave in a few places in the next few days. After a marginal dip, the mercury now remains around 1-2℃ above-normal across the national capital, with Najafgarh still the warmest at 42.5℃.
Delhi is slated to go for polls under Phase 6 of the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday, and the forecast suggests the temperatures are likely to remain around 44℃ on the polling day, with dry, warm surface winds which may worsen the heat stress during the day.
Heatwaves are also likely to sweep Haryana which is also set to vote on Saturday. The mercury was recorded to be near-normal in the state ahead of the polling, but it is around 40℃, with Sirsa still the warmest with 45.8℃. In the neighbouring state of Punjab, the day was warmer by 2.6 ℃ with Bathinda recording the highest temperature of 44.8℃ in the state.
Heatwaves In Gujarat Since May 15
Meanwhile, Gujarat has been simmering with continuous heatwaves since May 15. The day’s temperature shot up to to 46.6℃ in Ahmedabad and 45.5℃ for Gandhinagar- which was 3-4℃ above-normal. The unbearable heat continues to extend across Madhya Pradesh as well with Ratlam recording a temperature of 46.2℃ which was nearly 7.2℃ above normal.
As predicted by the weather department, India has been experiencing an unusually high number of heatwaves this summer, which have swept large parts for an abnormally longer period. Earlier this month, the IMD had forecasted that the heatwave days were likely to be above-normal by 5-8 days over Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and by 2-4 days in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh.
The extreme weather event has been worsened by increasing global temperatures which have made the heatwaves more intense and frequent over the years. However, this year, the impact has been worsened by the prevailing El Nino conditions – when surface waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean are warmer than usual and lead to a warmer atmosphere over countries like India.
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