In its summer forecast for the season (March to May), India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted an “above normal” temperature across the nation. Notably, even the coldest January was recorded as the eighth warmest in 116 years. Many states may witness heatwave conditions, said the weathermen.
As per the IMD, the northwest region of the nation would be the worst impacted with temperatures of over one degree Celsius above normal. Temperatures are likely to be a degree Celsius above normal in the rest part of the country.
“Above normal temperatures up to one degree Celsius are likely to prevail over all meteorological sub-divisions of the country, except the northwest India where temperatures are likely to be more than 1 degree Celsius above normal,” said the IMD.
Above normal circumstances are likely over “core heatwave zone”. It includes Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana. Apart from this, the core heatwave region also includes Marathwada, Central Maharashtra and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra and coastal state of Andhra Pradesh.
Significantly, 2016 was recorded as the hottest year since 1901. Phalodi in Rajasthan scaled 51 degrees Celsius – the highest ever recorded in the nation.
Alarmingly, over 1,600 people died as a result of extreme climate conditions last year. Of them, 700 died caused by heatwave conditions. This included more than 400 deaths in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. January 2017 has been scaled as the eighth warmest since 1901.
“The country averaged monthly mean temperature during January 2017 was also significantly above normal with anomalies of 0.67 degree Celsius, which is the warmest ever since 1901,” the IMD said.