Heatwave sears Odisha, Bengal, Jharkhand, rain relief likely next week

New Delhi,UPDATED: Apr 21, 2024 12:28 IST

Intense heatwave gripped parts of the country, with maximum temperatures breaching the 40 degrees Celsius mark in states, including West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand. No relief is expected in these states until at least April 24. Other parts may receive rainfall from April 22 (Monday) owing to a fresh western disturbance that is expected to hit Northwest India.

On Saturday, Baripada and Boudh in Odisha recorded a maximum temperature of 45.2 degrees Celsius, while Midnapore and Bankura in West Bengal recorded 44.5 degrees Celsius and 44.6 degrees Celsius, respectively. Daltonganj and Jamshedpur in Jharkhand registered 43.6 degrees Celsius and 43.5 degrees Celsius, respectively, while Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh reported 43 degrees Celsius.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heatwave conditions are likely to prevail in many parts of Gangetic West Bengal on April 21 (Sunday) and isolated pockets in Jharkhand and Bihar till April 24.

Severe heatwave conditions are predicted in isolated pockets of Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal on April 21, the MeT Department said.

The threshold for a heatwave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees Celsius in the coastal areas, and 30 degrees Celsius in the hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 notches. A severe heatwave is declared if the departure from normal temperature exceeds 6.4 notches.

Elsewhere, across the country, hot and humid weather conditions are expected in coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala and Mahe till April 24, the IMD said.

In Delhi, the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 37.2 degrees Celsius and 23.3 degrees Celsius, respectively. The IMD has predicted light rain or drizzle on April 22 (Monday).

On Sunday, the maximum and minimum temperatures are predicted to be 38 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius in the national capital. No rain is predicted after Monday and the maximum temperatures are expected to touch the 40 degrees Celsius mark thereafter.

A rise in maximum temperatures by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius is very likely over East Uttar Pradesh during the next 24 hours with no
significant change thereafter, the IMD forecast stated.

In West India, maximum temperatures are expected to not rise during the next two days and may see an upward trend by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius thereafter.

The Met Office said four to eight heatwave days are expected in different parts of the country in April against the normal of one to three days. Ten to 20 days of heatwave are expected against the normal of four to eight days in the entire April-June period.

The areas predicted to see more heatwave days are Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Some places may record over 20 days of heatwave.

RAINFALL PREDICTION

Heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms/lightning and gusty winds are likely at isolated places in northeast India till April 24, the IMD said.

Light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms/lightning and gusty winds are predicted in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim till April 26, Odisha till April 24, and Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand on April 22 and 23, the weather office said.

With a fresh Western Disturbance likely to affect Northwest India from April 22, light to moderate rainfall/snowfall accompanied by thunderstorms/lightning and gusty winds are predicted in Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till April 26.

Isolated to scattered rainfall with thunderstorms/lightning and gusty winds are likely in Punjab till April 23, Haryana and Chandigarh from April 21 to 23, West Rajasthan on April 21 and 22, East Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh on April 22, according to the IMD.

In a mid-April update, the IMD said India will experience above-normal cumulative rainfall in the 2024 monsoon season with La Nina conditions, expected to set in by August-September, being the dominant factor.

Monsoon is critical for India's agricultural landscape, with 52 per cent of the net cultivated area relying on it. It is also crucial for replenishing reservoirs critical for drinking water apart from power generation across the country.

(with inputs from PTI)