The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the scorching heat continued in large parts of eastern India on Tuesday and spread to the southern parts of the country. Maximum temperatures in Odisha, coastal Gangetic regions of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Tamil Nadu were recorded two to seven degrees Celsius above normal.
The mercury touched 43.5 degrees Celsius in Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, 43.2 degrees Celsius in Kurnool, 42.3 degrees Celsius in Salem in Tamil Nadu and 42 degrees Celsius in Erode.
This is the second wave of the heat wave this month. According to IMD, heatwave conditions have been prevailing in Odisha since April 15 and in areas along the banks of Ganga in West Bengal since April 17. The department said in a statement that heatwave conditions are likely to be severe over India and southern peninsular India over the next five days.
The heat wave may continue in these states for the next five days
According to IMD, the maximum temperature is expected to rise by 2-4 degrees Celsius over northwest and east India and by 3-4 degrees Celsius over Maharashtra during the next four to five days. Heat wave is likely to prevail in parts of West Bengal, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Sikkim, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand during the next five days.
Dampness will cause discomfort in these countries
The meteorological department said that due to the humidity, coastal residents of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karnataka, Goa, Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Bihar may face discomfort. Warm night conditions are likely over Odisha during April 25-27. High temperatures at night are considered dangerous, because the body does not get a chance to cool down.
The number of days of heat waves will increase
According to the department, the number of heat wave days is expected to be higher in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Marathwada and Jharkhand. In some places there may be more than twenty heat waves. Extreme heat may stress the power grid and lead to water shortages in some parts of the country. Global weather agencies, including the IMD, also expect La Nina conditions to develop later this year.
The monsoon is important to agriculture in India, as 52 percent of the net cultivated area depends on it. Besides generating electricity throughout the country, it is also important to renew drinking water reservoirs.
