The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert of a fresh heatwave spell that will commence over east and central India from May 18. The IMD issued a red alert for west Rajasthan and stressed on the need for “extreme care for vulnerable people”.
In the orange alert issued for Haryana, Punjab, east Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat it emphasised on “high health concern” for vulnerable people, including infants, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases.
The Met department warned of an increased likelihood of heat-related illnesses in people exposed to the sun for prolonged periods or engaging in heavy work.
While the existing heatwave alert in Jharkhand and Odisha will continue till May 20, the weather will see a slight improvement after May 19 in West Bengal and Bihar, the IMD said.
The threshold for a heat wave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas, and 30 degrees in the hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 notches. A severe heat wave is declared if the departure from normal exceeds 6.4 notches.
Rainfall alert
According to IMD predictions, several districts of Kerala are likely to see rainfall activity between May 18 and 20 due to the likely prevalence of strong westerly and southwesterly winds in the region.
IMD has issued an orange alert for Palakkad and Malappuram on May 18, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, and Idukki on May 19, and in seven districts of the state for May 20. The weather agency also issued an orange alert in seven districts of the state for May 21.
Southern Kerala coast is likely to see squally weather the IMD said and advised fishermen in those areas not to venture into the sea from May 18-20. Apart from Kerala, Andhra Pradesh may also get respite from the heat in the upcoming days. The IMD has forecast light to moderate rain is likely at many places of Tamil Nadu with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of speed reaching 40-50 kmph at one or two places till May 20.
It said the southwest monsoon is very likely to advance into the South Andaman Sea, parts of the southeast Bay of Bengal and Nicobar Islands around May 19.
In addition to the humidity in the northeast, the states are also likely to see moderate to heavy rainfall over the next week. The IMD forecast predicts light to moderate rain for West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur Mizoram, and Tripura. However, the rainfall activity is likely to get heavier in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim between May 19 and May 20