The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a severe heatwave red alert for the states of Punjab, Haryana, and the capital, Chandigarh. As temperatures soar across Northwest India, the weather agency has predicted continued heatwave to severe heatwave conditions over the next five days.
The IMD, in a post on Twitter, said, “Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions is most likely to continue over plains of Northwest India and heatwave conditions over north Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat during the next five days.”
According to the IMD, severe heatwave conditions were observed in many parts of Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, with isolated instances in West Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, and north Madhya Pradesh on Sunday.
The agency warned of impending heatwave to severe heatwave conditions over many parts of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, and Rajasthan. Heatwave conditions are also expected over parts of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat, Saurashtra, and Kutch on May 23.
Earlier, IMD on Sunday held out no immediate respite from the searing and scalding heatwave as it issued a red alert in Delhi, saying that the temperatures could range between 28 to 44 degrees Celsius.
Senior IMD scientist Naresh Kumar said that the current situation will prevail for the next week. “Generally, May is considered the hottest month. If there is no rainfall activity in North India, then the temperature normally crosses 45 degrees Celsius. It is forecast that this situation will prevail for the next week. This scenario will continue for the next five days in Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana. We have issued a red alert. A heatwave situation will exist in UP for the next three to four days. Heatwaves will also prevail in North MP. We have issued an orange alert for the region,” he said.
The weather agency also issued a heat wave warning for several districts in Himachal Pradesh for the next four to five days. According to the Meteorological Centre in Shimla, the heat wave is likely to continue in isolated pockets in the districts of Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Solan, Sirmaur, Kangra, and Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh for the next four to five days.
The IMD said that the average maximum temperatures in the state are likely to increase by two to three degrees and remain above normal during the period.
(With ANI input)