Severe heat in northwest India for another five days; red warning issued

The extreme heat scorching large parts of northwest India will continue for another five days Delhi Haryana Punjab Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have been predicted to bear the maximum impact reported PTIA brutal heat wave swept over north India on Friday with the maximum temperature soaring to a scorching 474 degrees Celsius in southwest Delhis Najafgarh the highest this season in the country so farThe India Meteorological Department IMD on Saturday predicted a severe heat wave over the plains of northwest India during the next five days and a heat wave over the east and central regions during the next three daysThe Met office also issued a red warning for Delhi Haryana Punjab and west Rajasthan stressing the need for extreme care for vulnerable peopleIt issued an orange alert for east Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and emphasised high health concern for vulnerable people including infants the elderly and those with chronic diseasesThe Met office said high humidity could add to peoples inconvenience in Goa and subHimalayan West BengalAs per the report the IMD also said warm night conditions are likely in Uttar Pradesh Bihar and west Rajasthan over the next twothree days High night temperatures are considered dangerous because the body doesnt get a chance to cool downIncreasing nighttime heat is more common in cities because of the urban heat island effect in which metro areas are significantly hotter than their surroundingsIn view of the general elections in India experts have warned of an increased likelihood of heatrelated illnesses in people exposed to the sun for prolonged periods or engaging in heavy workOn Friday maximum temperatures surged to 474 degrees Celsius in Najafgarh and 471 in Haryanas SirsaAccording to India Meteorological Data IMD data till 730 pm Najafgarh was the warmest place in the countryBefore this Kalaikunda in the Gangetic West Bengal region had recorded a high of 472 degrees Celsius on April 30The threshold for a heat wave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains 37 degrees in the coastal areas and 30 degrees in the hilly regions and the departure from normal is at least 45 notchesA severe heat wave is declared if the departure from normal exceeds 64 notchesApril witnessed recordsmashing maximum temperatures in east northeast and southern peninsular India prompting health warnings from government agencies and a few states to suspend inperson classes in schoolsSeveral places recorded their highestever April day temperatures with the mercury soaring to 47 degrees CelsiusAt least two people died in Kerala due to suspected heatstroke during this periodOn Wednesday a group of leading climate scientists said similar heat waves could occur once every 30 years and these have already become about 45 times more likely due to climate changeThe scientists from the World Weather Attribution group emphasised that heat waves intensified by climate change are making life much tougher for people living in poverty across AsiaThe IMD had earlier warned of extreme heat in India during the AprilJune period coinciding with the sevenphase Lok Sabha elections that end on June 1Researchers at Climate Central a USbased group of climate scientists said 543 million 543 crore people in India will experience at least one day of extreme heat during May 1821Humancaused climate change has made this intense heat much more likely The high overnight temperatures make this event particularly alarming said Andrew Pershing vicepresident for science at Climate CentralHeat waves can be deadly with the elderly and children particularly at risk of heat exhaustion and heatstrokeAccording to the World Health Organization more than 166000 166 lakh people died as a result of heat waves between 1998 and 2017Extreme temperatures can also impact economies People are less productive during hot weather even if they work indoors while children struggle to learn in extreme heatA 2022 study said extreme heat resulted in labour productivity loss of USD 21 trillion equivalent in 2017