Temperatures in many cities in India, including the capital Delhi, saw a record 49.2 degrees Celsius. Officials warned the public that intense heat will continue. However, the hot weather has upset agriculture and other economic activities as well as daily life.
An intense heatwave is spreading in northern India, with temperatures reaching a record 49.2 degrees Celsius in parts of the capital, Delhi.This is the fifth heatwave in the capital since March. Authorities in many parts of the country have asked people to take precautions as temperatures remain high. It also warned that high temperatures could cause health problems for vulnerable people, including infants, the elderly and people with chronic diseases.India’s weather department reported that the states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Bihar have witnessed rising temperatures, especially in the last few days.However, severe heatwaves have upended the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in northern India this summer. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked state premiers to come up with plans to mitigate the impact of the extreme heat as temperatures rose faster than normal.While heatwaves are common in India, especially in May and June, high temperatures started early this year, starting in March when the first heatwave hit. Average maximum temperatures for March were the highest in 122 years.The Center for Science and the Environment, a think tank, announced that early this year heatwaves affected about 15 states, including the northern state of Himachal Pradesh.Naresh Kumar, a senior scientist at the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), attributed the current heatwave to local atmospheric factors.Kumar said anticyclones (areas of high atmospheric pressure where the air sinks) caused hot, dry weather in parts of western India in March.On the other hand, due to the high temperatures, farmers noted that it is affecting the wheat harvest, a development that could potentially have global consequences given the supply disruptions due to the Ukraine-Russia war. High temperatures have also triggered a surge in electricity demand, leading to blackouts and coal shortage fears in many states.Prime Minister Modi also pointed to the increased risk of fires due to rising temperatures.
