Suspended classes, health warnings, red & orange alerts - all in a scorching day in India

With maximum temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius on Monday, large portions of India suffered from oppressive heat and humidity, taxing electricity grids and triggering health advisories from governmental bodies.

Because of the intense heat, Jharkhand authorities suspended schools up until eight.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), extremely hot weather is predicted for the south peninsula during the next five days and for east India until May 1.

The weather service issued a red notice, alerting people to the possibility of severe heat waves over the next two to three days that might burn portions of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha. A region-wide orange alert is in effect for Telangana, Karnataka, and Sikkim.

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On Monday, the temperature in Kalaikunda and Kandala reached 45.4 degrees Celsius (which is 8.6 degrees Celsius over normal), while Nandyal (Andhra Pradesh) recorded 45 degrees, Sheikhpura (Bihar) recorded 44 degrees, and Baripada (Odisha) recorded 44.8 degrees.

Parts of West Bengal, Gujarat, Bihar, Sikkim, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh saw heatwave to severe heatwave conditions, according to a statement from the IMD.

When a meteorological station records a high temperature of at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in coastal areas, and 30 degrees in hilly regions, and the deviation from normal is at least 4.5 notches, it is considered a heat wave.

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If the divergence from average is greater than 6.4 notches, a severe heat wave is proclaimed.

The IMD said people in areas where a red alert has been declared could develop heat illness and heatstroke and suggested taking extreme care.

In orange-alert areas, there is a likelihood of heat illness in people who are either exposed to the sun for a prolonged period or doing heavy work.

The Met office said high humidity could add to people’s inconvenience in Assam, Tripura, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Goa, Kerala and Karnataka during the next five days.

The ongoing heatwave spell is the second this month. Heatwave conditions have been prevailing in Odisha since April 15 and in Gangetic West Bengal since April 17, according to the Met office.

The IMD also said warm night conditions are likely in east Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka over the next five days. High night temperatures are considered dangerous because the body doesn’t get a chance to cool down.

Increasing nighttime heat is more common in cities because of the urban heat island effect, in which metro areas are significantly hotter than their surroundings.

Amid the prevailing but weakening El Nino conditions, the IMD had earlier warned of extreme heat during the April-June period, coinciding with the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections.

Lakhs of voters had to cope with the searing heat when they stepped out to exercise their franchise in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 26.

Voting to elect representatives from 94 constituencies in 12 states will take place on May 7.

The Met office has said four to eight heatwave days are expected in different parts of the country in April against a normal of one to three days. Ten to 20 heatwave days are expected against a normal of four to eight in the entire April-June period.

The areas and regions predicted to witness a higher number of heatwave days are Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Bihar and Jharkhand. Some places may record more than 20 heatwave days.

The intense heat could strain power grids and result in water shortages in parts of India.

Global weather agencies, including the IMD, are also expecting La Nina conditions to develop later in the year.

El Nino conditions – periodic warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean – are associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India. La Nina conditions – the antithesis of El Nino – lead to plentiful rainfall during the monsoon season.

In a mid-April update, the IMD said India would experience above-normal cumulative rainfall in the 2024 monsoon season with La Nina conditions, expected to set in by August-September, being the dominant factor.

The monsoon is critical for India’s agricultural landscape, with 52 per cent of the net cultivated area dependent on it. It is also crucial for replenishing reservoirs critical for drinking water apart from power generation across the country.