During a heat wave condition maximum temperatures soar five to six degrees above normal
Brace yourself for an unrelenting summer ahead. After 2016, which was the warmest year on record in India, 2017, too, promises to be warmer than normal, marked by heat waves across vast parts of the country, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said in its summer forecast for the year.
All parts of the country, except Northwest India, will experience temperatures up to 1 degree Celsius above normal, while the Northwest is going to be even hotter — by possibly recording more than 1 degree Celsius above normal. Already, the IMD has recorded 0.67 degree Celsius above normal mean temperatures in January.
"The season averaged maximum temperatures are likely to be warmer than normal by more than 1 degree Celsius in most of the subdivisions from North, Northwest India and few subdivisions from neighbouring East Central India, and by 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius in remaining subdivisions," the IMD said. The different regions across the country are divided into 36 meteorological sub-divisions.
The IMD's forecast added that heat wave conditions are likely over much of North India, Northwest, Central India, East Central India and even the plains of the Himalayas.
During a heat wave condition maximum temperatures soar five to six degrees above normal. According to the IMD, the average minimum temperatures, too, are going to be warmer by over 1 degree Celsius, largely in the Northwest and the plains of the Himalayas.
"The climatology of Northwest India is relatively warmer compared to other regions. We are also not expecting El Niño to not play a big part in pre-monsoon season," said KJ Ramesh, director general, IMD.
Global warming has resulted in a series of warm summers for India in the past few years. The IMD said that studies have indicated increasing trends in the frequency and duration of heat waves over the country, which can be attributed to increasing trends in the greenhouse gases and the warming of the sea surface temperatures over the equatorial Indian and Pacific oceans. Last year, the El Niño conditions were strong, resulting in warming of ocean waters.
Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and the Gangetic plains were the worst affected in the heat waves of 2016, killing over 200 people.
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During a heat wave condition maximum temperatures soar five to six degrees above normal. According to the IMD, the average minimum temperatures, too, are going to be warmer by over 1 degree Celsius, largely in the Northwest and the plains of the Himalayas.
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