New Delhi: A severe heat wave has gripped various parts of India with at least sixteen towns and cities in the central and northwest parts of the country recording temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius and above. The mercury touched 47 degrees Celsius on Sunday (June 5, 2022) in the national capital and parts of Madhya Pradesh. “Heatwave conditions also prevailed over some parts of Vidarbha and over isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, west Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh,” an official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Met Office said there will be no significant change in the maximum temperatures over most parts of northwest India over the next four to five days. The weather office also said that there will be no significant change in temperature over Central India over the next two days and the mercury was expected to slide by two to three degrees thereafter.
Mercury soars to 47 degrees
In Delhi, Safdarjung, the base station for the national capital, recorded 44.2 degrees Celsius, while Mungeshpur observatory in northwest Delhi, reported 47.3 degrees Celsius. Banda in Uttar Pradesh and Ganganagar in Rajasthan recorded the highest maximum temperature of 46.8 degrees Celsius and 46.7 degrees Celsius respectively.
IMD issues yellow alert for Delhi today
A blistering heatwave baked parts of the national capital, with the mercury breaching the 45-degree Celsius mark in six localities. The mercury jumped to 47.3 degrees, seven notches above normal, at Mungeshpur, making it the hottest place in the capital.
The Met office has issued a “yellow” alert, warning of heatwave conditions at isolated places in Delhi on Monday.
Heatwave roasts western Odisha
Parts of western Odisha on Sunday reeled under severe heatwave conditions even as people in other regions of the state got some respite due to rain, the Met office said. At least 13 weather stations recorded a maximum of over 40 degrees Celsius even as the temperatures fell by 1-2 notches in some places due to rainfall on Monday night, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said. Heatwave prevailed in Bolangir, Boudh, Subarnapur and Bargarh. The conditions are likely to continue in these districts over the next two days, according to a bulletin.
There will be no significant change in the maximum temperature over the next four-five days, it said.
Heatwave conditions in Rajasthan
As per the meteorological department, there is no likely relief from the heat for a few days. At 46.7 degrees Celsius, Sriganganagar was the hottest place in the state. State capital Jaipur recorded a maximum temperature of 42.6 degrees Celsius. No significant change in the temperatures is expected in the next 48 hours, a spokesperson of the meteorological department said.
He said the effect of dry westerly winds will continue over most parts of the state during the next one week and the weather will remain dry at most places. The weather office also said that pre-monsoon activities are likely to start in some parts of the state after June 14-15.
Hot weather conditions prevail in Haryana, Punjab
Haryana and Punjab witnessed hot weather conditions on Sunday, with maximum temperatures hovering above normal limits at most places. In Haryana, Hisar saw a high of 44.5 degrees Celsius, Sirsa 44.6 degrees Celsius, Rohtak 44.4 degrees Celsius, Bhiwani 44.7 degrees Celsius, Gurugram 43.6 degrees Celsius, Ambala 44.4 degrees Celsius and Karnal 43.7 degrees Celsius, it said.
In Punjab, Bathinda recorded a maximum temperature of 45.4 degrees Celsius, Amritsar 44 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 44 degrees Celsius and Patiala 44.8 degrees Celsius, the department said.
Rainfall likely in Karnataka, Kerala
Meanwhile, the weatherman has forecast an increase in rainfall activity over the southern peninsula from Tuesday onwards. “Fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm/lightning is very likely over Karnataka, Kerala & Mahe and Lakshadweep and isolated to scattered over Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal during next five days,” the IMD said.
The IMD said that intense rainfall spells will continue over North-East India, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the next five days.
(With agency inputs)
