Severe heatwave red alert for states of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh: IMD

New Delhi [India], May 20 : The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a severe heatwave red alert warning for the states of Punjab and Haryana and the capital, Chandigarh. The warning comes as temperatures soar across Northwest India, with IMD predicting continued heatwave to severe heatwave conditions over the next five days.
Meanwhile, IMD, in a post on X, said, "Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions most likely to continue over plains of Northwest India and Heatwave conditions over north Madhya Pradesh & Gujarat State during next 5 days."
According to IMD, severe heatwave conditions have been observed in many parts of Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, with isolated instances in West Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, and north Madhya Pradesh on Sunday.
The agency also warned of impending heatwave to severe heatwave conditions over many parts of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, and Rajasthan. Heatwave conditions are also expected over some places in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat, Saurashtra, and Kutch on May 23rd, 2024.
Earlier, IMD on Sunday held out no immediate respite from the searing and scalding heatwave as it issued a red alert in Delhi informing that the temperatures can range between 28 to 44 degrees Celsius.
Senior IMD scientist Naresh Kumar said that the current situation will prevail for the next week.
"Generally, May is considered the hottest month. If there is no rainfall activity in North India, then the temperature normally crosses 45 degrees Celsius. It is forecast that this situation will prevail for the next week. This scenario will continue for the next 5 days in Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana. We have issued a red alert. A heatwave situation will exist in UP for the next 3-4 days. Heatwaves will also prevail in North MP. We have issued an orange alert for the region," he said.
The India Meteorological Department also issued a heat wave warning for several districts in Himachal Pradesh for the next 4-5 days.
According to the Meteorological Centre in Shimla, the heat wave is likely to continue in isolated pockets in the districts of Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Solan, Sirmaur, Kangra, and Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh for the next 4 to 5 days.
There is also the possibility of a severe heat wave in the districts of Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Solan (Nalagarh, Baddi, Parwanoo), Sirmaur (Dhaulakuan, Paonta Sahib), and Kangra (Gaggal, Nupur, Indora, Fatehpur, Dehra, Jaswan) and adjoining areas, the IMD said.
The IMD further said that the average maximum temperatures in the state are likely to increase by 2 to 3 degrees and remain appreciably above normal during the period.