Intense heatwave grips eastern coastal India, with temperatures crossing 45°C in Andhra Pradesh. IMD predicts heatwave to continue during elections. An intense heatwave has gripped parts of eastern coastal India, with temperatures crossing a scorching 45°C in Andhra Pradesh and hovering over 40°C at several places in Odisha and West Bengal.
Elections in these regions are still almost a month away, and local weather offices expect the punishing heatwave to continue during campaigning and voting. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had in early April predicted a higher number of extreme heatwave days between April and May in parts of the country, including the peninsula area and some parts of Central India.
In Andhra Pradesh, 46 revenue blocks witnessed severe heatwave conditions and 175 blocks saw heatwaves on Wednesday, according to the state disaster management authority. Markapuram in Prakasam district recorded a high of 44.7°C. Andhra’s disaster management authority runs its own monitoring stations, which are separate from the IMD’s.
Other hotspots included Kovilam in Srikakulam at 45.4°C, Tummakapalle in Vizianagaram at 45.1°C, and Ravikamatam in Anakapalle at 45.1°C. Most of Andhra Pradesh saw maximum temperatures above 40C (104F). In neighbouring Telangana, over 20 places recorded temperatures above 44°C, with Nidamanur in Nalgonda district hitting 44.8°C.
The Telangana state development and planning society predicted highs around 44°C in several areas over the next three days, with largely dry weather across the state. Odisha ordered school closures from Thursday for three days, as at least 30 places recorded temperatures of 40°C or more. On Wednesday, Talcher was the state’s hottest at 43.2°C. “We are preparing to face minimum voter inconvenience. We’ll have ambulances and mobile health units with ORS packets,” said Nikunja Dhal, Odisha’s chief electoral officer.
The Special Relief Commissioner has asked district collectors to not allow labourers to work between 11am and 3pm, warning of punitive action against people who violate the order. In West Bengal, several south Bengal districts sweltered, with Panagarh in West Burdwan recording 42.8C (109F), the state’s highest on Tuesday, which was eight degrees above the normal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned more south Bengal districts could face heatwaves in the next 3-4 days.
Several other weather stations in the districts, such as Bankura, Sriniketan, Kalaikunda, Burdwan, Asansol, Purulia, Barrackpore and Suri, recorded temperature above the 40 degrees Celsius mark, officials said. In Kolkata, day temperature recorded was 39.4 degrees Celsius, 3.8 degrees above normal. However, in places such as Salt Lake and Dum Dum Salt Lake crossed the 40 degrees Celsius mark. The IMD predicted heatwaves in parts of Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, and Jharkhand from April 17-21, with severe heatwaves likely in isolated Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal pockets from April 18-21.
It issued orange alerts for Odisha, Saurashtra and West Bengal, cautioning people that while moderate temperature and heat is tolerable for the general public, some health concern is likely for vulnerable people, such as infants, elderly and people with chronic diseases.
It also issued a yellow alert for Jharkhand, north Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Rayalaseema, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal, asking people to be on the watch for high heat exposure and take necessary precautions.