The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heat wave alert for certain regions of east and peninsular India over the next two days, according to its latest update.
Areas expected to experience heat wave conditions include Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, North Interior Karnataka, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema, and Telangana.
During the past 24 hours, isolated pockets in North Interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Yanam experienced heat wave conditions.
A heat wave is a dangerous condition where air temperatures become hazardous to human health when exposed. It is determined based on temperature thresholds either in terms of actual temperature or departure from normal.
IMD advises individuals to avoid heat exposure by wearing lightweight, light-colored, loose cotton clothes, covering their heads, and using cloth, hats, or umbrellas for protection.
On Thursday, maximum temperatures ranged from 40-42 degrees Celsius over many parts of Vidarbha, Telangana, Rayalaseema, East Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Marathwada, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, and North Interior Karnataka. In addition, isolated pockets in Gangetic West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala also experienced high temperatures.
Departures from normal maximum temperatures were observed to be above 3-4 degrees Celsius in isolated pockets over Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, East Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Vidarbha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal, Rayalaseema, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
Furthermore, enhanced rainfall and thunderstorm activity are expected to continue over the northeastern part of the country until April 9, 2024. Another Western disturbance is anticipated to affect the Western Himalayan Region from April 10, 2024, leading to light rainfall/snowfall in isolated places over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh on April 5-6, 10-11, and over Uttarakhand in the next 7 days.
Isolated rainfall is also expected over Rajasthan on April 5-6 and 10-11, 2024. Additionally, cyclonic circulations over north Bangladesh and east Assam and its neighborhood are likely to result in widespread to widespread light/moderate rainfall/snowfall with isolated thunderstorms and lightning in Arunachal Pradesh, scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with isolated thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (40-50 kmph) in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura during the next 7 days.
(inputs from ANI)