The heat wave will persist in central and northwest India till the end of May, says IMD | Today’s news
Large parts of central and northwest India are likely to continue to experience heat waves to severe heat waves for the next four to five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, while the eastern and adjoining peninsular regions are also expected to remain under intense heat stress for the next three to four days.
However, the IMD expects the heat conditions to gradually ease from May 29 in most of the affected regions, although parts of Rajasthan may continue to face extreme temperatures.
Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi are likely to experience heatwaves on May 25-28, with severe heatwaves expected in parts of Punjab on May 26-27 and Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on May 25-27. Uttar Pradesh is expected to face heat conditions till May 28, with severe heat episodes likely in isolated areas on May 25-27.
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Rajasthan is likely to remain one of the hottest parts of the country, with heat waves forecast from 25 to 30 May and severe heat waves over western Rajasthan till 28 May. Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha are expected to experience intense heat till 29 May, while eastern Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha are likely to experience severe heat waves till 28 May.
Heatwave is also forecast for isolated areas of Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam in the coming days.
Besides, warm night conditions are likely over parts of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Vidarbha and Odisha till May 27, increasing the level of discomfort and health risks.
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The temperature rises above 47°C
Maximum temperatures on 24 May remained exceptionally high over most of the country, ranging between 43 °C and 47 °C in parts of northwest, central and east India and adjoining peninsular regions. The highest temperature in the country was recorded at Brahmapuri in Vidarbha where the mercury touched 47.2°C.
Temperatures remained appreciably to well above normal in several regions including East Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, Odisha, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Telangana and Chhattisgarh. Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam recorded temperatures more than 5°C above normal in isolated areas.
At the same time, the demand for energy remains at record levels. On Monday, peak power consumption was 268.09 GW, recorded around 3:27 p.m. The highest peak demand so far is 270.82 GW, recorded on May 21. Delhi’s peak power demand on Monday reached 8,439 MW, an all-time high. It was the fourth consecutive day that Delhi’s peak demand crossed 8,000 MW.
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Heavy rain likely in the northeast and south
While north and central India continue to reel under intense heat, isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over the northeastern states in the next six to seven days, the IMD said. Kerala and Tamil Nadu are expected to receive isolated heavy rainfall over the next two to three days, offering relief from the hot and humid conditions in parts of south India.
Weather conditions are becoming increasingly favorable for the further advance of the Southwest Monsoon over other parts of the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea during the next two to three days, the IMD said.
