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Several parts of India are in the grip of a heatwave. As of May 22 morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for severe to extreme heat conditions across much of the country for the next day. While they’ve been cropping up for a little while now, the warnings of warm nights are especially something to look out for.
Yesterday, May 21, happened to be Delhi’s warmest night in 14 years, going by the India Meteorological Department’s data. Safdarjung’s maximum temperature was 43.6°C, with many other parts almost touching 45 degrees. The weather department also predicts warm nights tonight (May 22) for Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Vidarbha.
The highest temperature recorded anywhere in the country on May 21 was a staggering 47.6°C at Banda, Uttar Pradesh. Across northwest, west, central and north peninsular India, maximum temperatures ranged between 40-47°C.
Where it hit the hardest on May 21
Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions were recorded across Vidarbha, East and West Uttar Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and isolated pockets of Odisha in the past day.
Alert levels for today, May 22
Severe heat wave conditions are very likely over coastal Andhra Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha.
Heat wave conditions are expected at isolated places over Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu-Puducherry-Karaikal, Telangana and West Madhya Pradesh. Importantly, warm nights are also forecast for Delhi, Haryana, UP and Vidarbha, so don’t take the evenings for granted.
Hot and humid weather is likely over Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha. The heat is more manageable here, but those in vulnerable groups (the elderly, young children, anyone with a chronic condition) still need to be careful.
How to stay safe
Drink water regularly, even if you don't feel thirsty. Keep ORS, lassi, lemon water, buttermilk or rice water handy. Wear loose, light-coloured cotton clothes and cover your head outdoors. And perhaps most importantly, check in on those who need it the most.
What classifies as a warm night and a heatwave in India?
When the IMD says ‘heatwave,’ it has a specific meaning – maximum temperatures need to hit at least 4.5°C-6.4°C above the seasonal normal of a particular day, given that they've maxed over 40 degrees in the plains and 30 in the hills. Also: if this exceeds a day's time, it's automatically classified a heatwave. As for a 'warm night', it's got to be at least 4.5°C-6.4°C above the seasonal normal minimum temperature of a particular night. If it exceeds 6.4 degrees of a difference, it's classified as a 'very warm night'.