Met department issues red alert for severe heatwave in Delhi

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for a severe heatwave in Delhi on Tuesday. The capital is expected to experience extreme heatwave conditions, with temperatures soaring to 45 degrees Celsius and minimum temperatures around 34 degrees Celsius. The IMD warns that most areas in Delhi will be significantly impacted by the heat, and warm nights are expected in isolated places.

The IMD forecasts a slight decrease in heatwave intensity after Tuesday. However, severe heatwave conditions are also predicted for parts of Himachal Pradesh and Bihar on the same day. 

In addition to heatwaves, hot and humid weather is expected to persist in Odisha until Wednesday, coastal West Bengal on Tuesday, and Jharkhand on Thursday. 

The IMD has also issued warnings for isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of West Bengal and Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh until Friday, and in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura until Wednesday. Odisha is expected to experience isolated heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday.

Recent reports from June 17, 2024, highlight the extreme temperatures in Delhi. Weather stations across the city have recorded significantly higher temperatures than usual for this time of year. Safdarjung, Delhi’s primary weather station, reported a high of 45.2 degrees Celsius, which is 6.4 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average of 38.8 degrees Celsius for mid-June.

The IMD's alert emphasizes the need for residents to take precautions and stay hydrated as the city grapples with these extreme weather conditions.

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