Heatwave hits parts of India not usually associated with such weather

The heatwave scorching swathes of the country has even hit areas such as parts of Kerala, resort towns of Ooty (Tamil Nadu), Matheran (Maharashtra) in the Western Ghats, and Bengaluru, which are not usually associated with such weather.

Kerala’s Alappuzha, best known for its backwaters, and Matheran recorded the highest temperatures ever this month—38°C and 39°C. Two weather stations in Bengaluru recorded the third and fourth highest temperatures ever at 38.5°C and 37.6°C in April.

At 36.6 °C Aminidivi (Lakshadweep) reported the 10th highest temperature ever and the fifth highest for this month. Arogyavaram (Andhra Pradesh) recorded 41.0 °C, the second highest ever. The mercury went up to 42.4 °C, the second highest ever, and the highest this month in Canning (West Bengal). Cuttack in Odisha reported the fifth-highest temperature for this month at 43.7°C. Dharmapuri (Tamil Nadu) recorded 41.2 °C, the second highest ever. West Bengal’s Diamond Harbour recorded the sixth-highest temperature ever at 41.3 °C.

Kottayam reported 38.5 °C, the second highest ever. Palakkad in Kerala recorded the fourth highest temperature ever at 41.6 °C. Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh reported 45.2 °C, the third highest ever.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said a heatwave to severe heatwave in east and south peninsular India will continue for the next five days, covering a swathe of the country where elections are due in the next two phases.

It said Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, parts of Jharkhand, Rayalaseema, interior Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana would face “heatwave or severe heatwave conditions”.

An HT analysis showed 186 of the 191 seats, where polls are due in the next two phases, will have peak temperatures above 35°C in the next five days. As many as 136 constituencies are projected to have peaks of above 40°C, which could again deter people from voting after turnouts have dropped in the first two phases.

Any relief was unlikely before May 1. Some thunderstorm activity was expected afterwards. IMD director general M Mohapatra said the heat episode in east India has been prolonged. Normally only one to three days of heat wave is expected in April.

Maximum temperatures breached the 98th percentile (2% chance that temperatures will fall above this threshold for that time) in Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala on Friday and Saturday.

Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyal was the hottest place in the country on Sunday at 45.6°C or 4.6 degrees above normal.

IMD said parts of the east coast and the peninsular south will record a heat index of 40-50 degrees C. Some places can even go up to 60°C, as per heat index forecasts provided by IMD. Heat index combines air temperature and relative humidity.

IMD has sounded red alerts for Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand, warning of a very high likelihood of developing heat-related illnesses.

On April 1, IMD said more heat-wave days than normal were expected between April and June raising concerns about agricultural production. April is crucial for winter-sown crops.