India Meteorological Department Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra stated that northern parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains, eastern coastal states, Gujarat, Maharashtra and adjoining areas will experience higher-than-normal heatwave days this year. He pointed to climatologically prone areas where temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius. Measures including WhatsApp groups and display boards are in place to assist vulnerable populations.
Speaking in New Delhi on Monday, India Meteorological Department Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said northern parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains, eastern coastal states, and western states of Gujarat and Maharashtra will have a higher-than-normal number of heatwave days this year.
He noted climatologically prone areas like Vidarbha where normal temperatures reach 41-42 degrees Celsius this time of year, and Uttar Pradesh and Haryana where they touch 40-44 degrees Celsius in May. "Therefore, we should be prepared for such high-temperature days," Mohapatra said.
To aid vulnerable groups, IMD has set up WhatsApp groups for outdoor workers such as street vendors and field labourers. Information is disseminated via the National Disaster Management Authority's Common Alert Protocol to mobile phones. Last year in Delhi, associations of rickshaw pullers and domestic workers received updates through secretaries and display boards.
IMD issued its first heatwave outlook for March-May by late February, updated for April-June on March 31. Heatwave conditions are forecast for April, May and June in southern West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Indo-Gangetic plains including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, southern Rajasthan, parts of Gujarat, southern Madhya Pradesh and northern Maharashtra.
