India Weather Updates: Heatwave to persist in THESE states; ECI adjusts polling hours in Telangana due to heat
India Weather Updates: Heatwave to persist in THESE states; ECI adjusts polling hours in Telangana due to heat
While scorching heat persists in Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand until May 6, the IMD has issued a thunderstorm alert for West Bengal.
Heatwave Conditions
Severe heatwave conditions prevail in the Gangetic West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Telangana. The maximum temperature is three to five degrees Celsius above the usual in these places, IMD reported. On Saturday, Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyal recorded the highest temperature of 46 degrees Celsius in the country for the third consecutive day.
Furthermore, heatwave conditions might persist in Rajasthan, and the maximum temperature might increase by two to three degrees Celsius.
IMD has predicted “light” to “moderate” rainfall with thunderstorm in Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, east Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and Karnataka between May 5 and May 9.
IMD has also issued a yellow alert for 12 out of 14 districts in Kerala as the high temperature and humidity might persist till May 6. According to the met office, the maximum temperatures will be around 39 degrees Celsius in Palakkad, around 38 degrees Celsius in Kollam, Thrissur, and Kozhikode, around 37 degrees Celsius in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Kannur districts and around 36 degrees Celsius in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Malappuram and Kasaragod districts till Monday.
EC Extends Polling Hours
The Election Commission has extended polling hours in several assembly segments of Telangana for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on May 13 due to the heatwave-like conditions in the state. The polling hours will now be between 7 am and 6 pm. The scorching heat has also pushed political parties into conducting door-to-door campaigns and public rallies during the early morning or evening hours.
The record-smashing maximum temperatures in April in east, northeast, and south peninsular India prompted health warnings from government agencies and some states to suspend in-person classes in schools. Several cities also recorded their highest-ever April day temperatures.
Rainfall Predictions
According to the India Meteorological Department, several places in southern Bengal might witness thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds from May 5. The maximum temperature in the state will fall by two to three degrees Celsius during the next four to five days. The weather office has advised fishermen not to enter the Bay of Bengal between May 6 and May 7.
The met department has also predicted “heavy” to “very heavy” rainfall with thunderstorms and gusty winds over northeast India on May 5.
(With inputs from agencies)