A scorching heatwave has gripped several parts of India for the last two weeks. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘red’ alert for the heatwave in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gangetic West Bengal, and an ‘orange’ alert in Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Telangana.

According to the IMD, a city in Andhra Pradesh is currently the warmest among all cities in the country. 

Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh - 46.2 degrees Celsius

Palawancha, Telangana - 45.2 degrees Celsius

Bolangir, Odisha - 45 degrees Celsius

Rentachintala, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam - 44.8 degrees Celsius

Karur Paramathi, Tamil Nadu - 44.3 degrees Celsius

Kalaikunda, Gangetic West Bengal - 44.2 degrees Celsius

Sheikhpura, Bihar - 41.1 degrees Celsius

Balurghat, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal - 41 degrees Celsius

The IMD, in its bulletin, said that “heatwave to severe heatwave conditions” are very likely in many pockets of Gangetic West Bengal and isolated pockets of Bihar on Friday. It further added that heatwave conditions are very likely in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Saurashtra and Kutch, Gujarat region, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Rayalaseema, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, and interior Karnataka.

Notably, a heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius and 4.5 degrees above normal. Meanwhile, a severe heatwave is declared when the temperature is above 40 degrees Celsius and 6.5 degrees above normal.

Meanwhile, the IMD has also issued a ‘yellow’ alert for rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Kerala, and Jammu and Kashmir.

The rainfall is likely due to a “cyclonic circulation that lies over northeast Bangladesh and a trough that runs from Bihar to Nagaland in lower tropospheric levels and also due to another cyclonic circulation that is lying over northeast Assam at lower tropospheric levels”, the weather department had said earlier.

Source: hindustantimes