Heat wave warning for parts of West Bengal and these 3 states
Parts of Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar could face heat waves in the next three to four days, India’s Meteorological Department said on Thursday.
Earlier this month, the Met office predicted above-normal maximum temperatures for most parts of the country from April to June, excluding parts of the northwest and peninsulas.
Above-normal heatwave days are expected in most parts of central, eastern and northwestern India during this period.
According to the Meteorological Department of India (IMD), heat wave conditions are likely until Monday (April 17) in isolated parts of Gangetic West Bengal, north coast Andhra Pradesh and Odisha until Saturday (April 15) and Bihar from April 15 to April 17.
Maximum temperatures in India’s central and northern peninsula are currently hovering between 40 and 42 degrees Celsius.
The weather department said maximum temperatures are three to five degrees higher than normal in many parts of the western Himalayan region and northeast India, West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
A heat wave is declared when the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, at least 37 degrees in coastal areas and at least 30 degrees in hilly areas, and the deviation from normal is at least 4.5 degrees.
In 2023, India experienced its warmest February since records began in 1901. Above-normal rainfall in March, however, kept temperatures in check.
March 2022 was the warmest on record and the third driest in 121 years. The year also saw the country’s third-warmest April since 1901.