NEW DELHI:
As northwest India braces for more scorching days this summer, the capital Delhi has ordered all schools closed as temperatures soar to 47 degrees Celsius ahead of voting in the last two phases of national elections.
The India Meteorological Department said the flurry of weather patterns raised temperatures in the bread region.
Why is India seeing more heatwaves?
Summer temperatures often peak in May in India, but IMD scientist Soma Sen Roy said the department is predicting 7-10 days of heatwaves in the northwest this month, compared to the usual 2-3 days.
That’s largely due to fewer non-monsoon storms and an active but weakened El Nino, she said, referring to a climate that typically leads to hot and dry weather in Asia and heavy rains in parts of the Americas.
Warm, westerly winds blowing from Pakistan also contributed to the heat, he said.
Other parts of India have already seen summer temperatures rise to record highs, including eastern and southern India, where April temperatures were among the hottest on record.
The meteorological department also announced a rare heatwave in the southwestern coastal state of Kerala last month.
Big heat, polls
On Sunday, Najafgarh district in southwest Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 47.8 degrees Celsius, the highest this summer.
The IMD threshold for a heat wave is when the maximum temperature reaches 40 C in plains, 30 C in hilly areas, 37 C in coastal areas and when the deviation from normal maximum temperatures is at least 4.5 degrees.
Delhi will vote on Saturday, along with the neighboring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, among others, in the penultimate phase of the seven-phase general election.
The IMD has issued a red alert for a heat wave this week in Delhi, indicating the possibility of temperatures dropping that could cause heat-related illnesses in those exposed.
What is the weather forecast?
The IMD said heat to severe heat conditions are very likely this week in many parts of grain-producing states like Punjab and Haryana in the northwest, along with parts of Delhi and nearby Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
The weather department is also predicting “extremely” heavy rainfall in the southern state of Kerala this week and in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu, due to the cyclonic circulation – referring to a specific wind circulation pattern – over Kerala.
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