Heatwave: IMD issues red alert for 4 states

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha for the next two to three days due to a heatwave. Parts of the country are already reeling under intense heat due to which government agencies have issued health warnings, while some states have suspended classes.

In its latest weather bulletin issued on Monday night, the weather office said "intensely hot conditions" are expected in east India until Wednesday, while it will continue in the south peninsular region for the next five days.

The IMD has also issued an orange alert for parts of Telangana, Karnataka and Sikkim.

On Monday, a heatwave prevailed in parts of West Bengal, Gujarat, Bihar, Sikkim, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Kalaikunda and Kandala recorded a maximum temperature of 45.4 degrees Celsius, which was eight notches above normal. It was 45 degrees Celsius in Nandyal.

Meanwhile, the third-highest temperature on Monday was 44.8 degrees Celsius recorded in Odisha's Baripada, followed by Sheikhpura in Bihar with the fourth-highest at 44 degrees Celsius.

According to the IMD, the areas under red alert could “develop heat illness and heatstroke.” The weather office asked people to take “extreme precaution”.

Meanwhile, in areas under the orange alert, people could fall ill if exposed to the heat for a prolonged period of time, or if they do heavy work while out in the scorching heat.

In the next five days, Assam, Tripura, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Goa, Kerala and Karnataka are likely to witness high humidity, the weather office bulletin said.

According to the IMD, this is the second heatwave in April as heatwave conditions have prevailed in Odisha since April 15 and in the Gangetic West Bengal since April 17.

The Met Office has said four to eight heatwave days are expected in different parts of the country in April against a normal of one to three days.

Predicts rainfall

Despite severe heatwave-like situations, the IMD predicts light to moderate rainfall/snowfall with isolated thunderstorms and lighting and thunderstorm and gusty winds (40-50 kmph). There are many states which will witness rainfall situations like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura in the coming five days.

Sikkim might expect light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning and gusty winds (30-40 kmph). Isolated hailstorms might also be expected in the next 48 hours.

Heavy rainfall is likely to occur over Arunachal Pradesh from in the next 24 hours and other states like Assam and Meghalaya will witness a similar situation, while states like Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura will experience rainfall in the next 72 hours with isolated rainfall over Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Meghalaya.