Temperatures soared above 48 degrees Celsius in 17 locations across northwestern and central India on Monday, severely impacting health and livelihoods.
Relief is on the horizon, however, as India Meteorological Department (IMD) chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra announced a potential respite in three days due to a western disturbance and moisture incursion from the Arabian Sea. “There could be thunderstorm activity in northwest India and rain in the western Himalayan region,” he said.
In the national capital, parts of the city experienced temperatures exceeding 48 degrees Celsius, prompting a red alert that will remain in place for the next three days, according to the weather office.
The IMD has forecast an increased number of heatwave days in June for northwest India and adjacent central regions. “Normally, northwest India and the adjoining areas record two to three heatwave days in June. This time, we expect four to six days of heatwave in this region,” Mohapatra stated at a press conference.
He added that aside from some southern peninsular regions, normal to above-normal maximum temperatures are expected throughout the country in June.
On Monday, the deadly heat saw temperatures surpassing 48 degrees Celsius in 17 locations, with Rajasthan’s Phalodi being the hottest at 49.4 degrees Celsius. Eight other locations in Rajasthan also recorded temperatures above 48 degrees Celsius. Other affected areas included Haryana’s Sirsa at 48.4 degrees, Delhi’s Mungeshpur at 48.8 degrees, Punjab’s Bathinda at 48.4 degrees, Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi at 48.1 degrees, and Madhya Pradesh’s Niwari at 48.7 degrees.
Even the typically cooler regions of Himachal Pradesh were not spared, with Una recording 44 degrees Celsius and Mandi 39.4 degrees.
In response to the extreme heat, Delhi’s Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj announced that government-run hospitals would reserve two beds each for heatstroke patients. Additionally, the Haryana government has advanced summer vacations in state-run and private schools to start on Tuesday.
The heatwave is straining power grids and causing water shortages across the country. The Central Water Commission reported that water storage in 150 major reservoirs had dropped to just 24 per cent of their live storage capacity last week. The Maharashtra irrigation department noted that the Jayakwadi dam in the drought-prone Marathwada region was at only 5.19 per cent of its capacity on Monday, after an evaporation loss of 1.15 million cubic metres in a single day.
India’s power demand surged to 239.96 gigawatts, the highest of the season, driven by the extensive use of air conditioners and coolers. Experts anticipate that power demand may rise further and surpass the all-time high of 243.27 gigawatts recorded in September 2023.
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For three consecutive years, severe heatwaves have impacted health, water availability, agriculture, power generation, and other sectors across India. This May, several regions, including Assam, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh, recorded their all-time high temperatures, and Rajasthan reported multiple heat-related deaths.
Extreme heat waves, exacerbated by climate change, are becoming more frequent, with studies suggesting they are now about 45 times more likely. The World Health Organization reported that over 166,000 people died from heatwaves between 1998 and 2017. In India, 3,812 deaths were attributed to heatwaves between 2015 and 2022, with Andhra Pradesh accounting for 2,419 fatalities.
The lack of adequate cold-chain infrastructure exacerbates the issue, causing significant damage to fresh produce and resulting in food losses worth USD 13 billion annually. According to a World Bank report, India could face 34 million job losses due to heat stress-related productivity declines by 2030.
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