Heatwave alert for parts of Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar

Parts of Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar may experience heatwave conditions over the next three to four days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.

Earlier this month, the Met office predicted above-normal maximum temperatures for most parts of the country from April to June, except parts of the northwest and the peninsular regions.

Above-normal heatwave days are expected in most parts of central, east, and northwest India during this period.

According to the IMD, heatwave conditions are likely in isolated pockets of Gangetic West Bengal until Monday (April 17), north coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha until Saturday (April 15) and Bihar from April 15 to April 17.

The maximum temperatures in central and north peninsular India are hovering in the range of 40 to 42 degrees Celsius at present.

The weather department said maximum temperatures are three to five notches above normal in many parts of the western Himalayan region and northeast India, West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

In an extended-range forecast, the IMD said heatwave conditions are likely over parts of Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh on some days between April 20 and April 26.

A heatwave is declared if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, at least 37 degrees in coastal areas and at least 30 degrees in hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 degrees.

In 2023, India experienced its hottest February since record-keeping began in 1901. However, above-normal rainfall in March kept temperatures in check.

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March 2022 was the warmest ever and the third driest in 121 years. The year also saw the country's third-warmest April since 1901.

In India, about 75 per cent of workers (around 380 million people) experience heat-related stress.

A report by the McKinsey Global Institute warns that if this continues, by 2030, the country could lose between 2.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product per year.