Telangana And AP To Face Severe Summer As IMD Warns Of Increased Heatwave Days
The IMD said that during the MAM season this year, Telangana and AP could see heatwaves with parts of the state experiencing such conditions from three days up to 15 or more while parts of north Telangana could experience above normal temperature days with the mercury possibly crossing the 45º Celsius mark.
HYDERABAD: The summer could be a sizzler for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with the India Meteorological Department on Saturday saying the two states, along with several others, can expect “above normal heatwave days” during the MAM season of March, April and May. The IMD said there was an increased likelihood of heatwave conditions across several states in the three-month period.
In a clear hint that people and local administrations should brace for what might be coming, IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told reporters in New Delhi that the heatwave conditions could “pose significant risks to public health, water resources, power demand, and essential services, particularly affecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, outdoor workers, and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions.”
Much of the country, with the exception of northeast and east India, and some parts of the Western Himalayan region and central and peninsular India — the last part in which Telangana and AP fall — can expect mostly normal to below normal temperatures.
The IMD said that during the MAM season this year, Telangana and AP could see heatwaves with parts of the state experiencing such conditions from three days up to 15 or more while parts of north Telangana could experience above normal temperature days with the mercury possibly crossing the 45º Celsius mark. Data projections from the IMD showed that such areas in Telangana could include parts of Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagtial, Kamareddy, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Medak, Siddipet and Hanamkonda districts.
Last year saw several parts of Telangana regularly hit 40º C and even touch 45º Cd uring the summer with parts of Hyderabad crossing the 42ºC mark in April.
The minimum temperatures are likely to stay normal over most parts of the country except some parts of northwest India, south peninsula and along east coast, where normal to below normal minimum temperatures are likely during March.
The meteorological department has also noted that weak La Nina conditions were prevailing over the equatorial Pacific. But, in the following months, neutral El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions could return, according to the forecasts by global models and IMD's own Monsoon Mission Climate Forecast System (MMCFS).
Reviewing weather conditions that prevailed during February, the IMD said that the rainfall all over India last month was the lowest since 2001. Also, no cold waves or cold days prevailed during February.
