India experienced intense heatwave in May, says IMD; PM Modi reviews situation

New Delhi: The north, west and central India experienced 8-16 days of heatwaves in May as intense heat blazed through nearly 80 per cent of the country’s land mass, the India Meteorological Department says in a new analysis, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the heatwave situation with top officials on Sunday.

The Prime Minister was briefed that as per IMD forecasts, the heat wave was likely to continue in parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. He also reviewed the post Cyclone Remal situation particularly in the north east.

This year, the monsoon is likely to be normal and above normal in most parts of the country and below normal in parts of north east India

Modi instructed officials to carry out regular drills for preventing and handling fire incidents. Fire audit and electrical safety audit of hospitals and other public places must be undertaken regularly. He also said that regular drills for the maintenance of fire-line in forests and productive utilization of the biomass must be planned.

The review meeting comes after a sweltering May when 27 out of 36 meteorological subdivisions suffered from killer heat ranging from 16 days in west Rajasthan to a single day even in the hill state of Uttarakhand – often frequented by people to escape from heat waves in the plains.

Rajasthan had to cope up with a searing summer for half of the month with west Rajasthan reporting 16 heatwave days followed by east Rajasthan with 14 such days.

Other meteorological subdivisions with a significantly large number of heatwave days are Gujarat and Haryana (both 12) followed by Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and west Madhya Pradesh, each registering 10 heat wave days when the maximum temperature was 45 degrees Celsius or more.

Odisha and east Madhya Pradesh come next with 8 heatwave days followed by Vidarbha, Rayalaseema and Tamil Nadu with seven such days. North and south interior Karnataka had six heatwave days.

On Sunday, heat wave conditions prevailed in isolated pockets over central parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, said an IMD official.

The IMD forewarned about the heatwave in March when it cautioned people that the duration of the heatwave days in March-April-May would be six to 15 days longer than average. The met agency also stated that only western Himalayas, north-east India and parts of peninsular India would be spared.

The areas that escaped the heatwave last month are the north east, western coast and the Marathwada subdivision of Maharashtra.

On Sunday, the maximum temperatures have fallen by 3-4 degrees Celsius over parts of east Madhya Pradesh; by 2-3 degrees Celsius in interior Odisha, Vidarbha, Punjab and by 1-2 degrees Celsius over parts of Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh, west Madhya Pradesh and adjoining east Rajasthan.

A Western Disturbance is expected next week, which may trigger a spell of rain in the north west, further bringing down the temperature.

The maximum temperature is now in the range of 43-45 degrees Celsius over some parts of north Rajasthan, south Haryana, Delhi, north Madhya Pradesh and south east Madhya Pradesh; in the range 41-43 degrees Celsius over parts of Punjab, remaining areas of Haryana, Delhi, south Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh; some parts of west Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Telangana and south interior Odisha.