Previous Month Marked India's Hottest May in 36 Years: IMD

In the past two months, April and May, the country endured extreme heat. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, the month of May 2024 was the 'hottest May' in 36 years.

Both April and May recorded high maximum temperatures, with an average maximum of 35.6°C in April and 37.3°C in May.

Despite the scorching heat, the country voted in a 7-phased general election to elect 543 MPs.

May temperatures were higher than those recorded in the election years of 2004 (35°C), 2009 (35.5°C), and 2014 (35.3°C), but slightly lower than the record 35.7°C observed in 2019.

The average maximum temperature this May was 37.3°C, the highest since May 1988, when it reached 37.4°C. IMD data shows that many stations set new records in May.

On May 31, the cities of Alwar, Bilaspur, and Bulandshahr recorded temperatures exceeding 46°C, with Alwar reaching 46.5°C, Bilaspur 46.8°C, and Bulandshahr 46°C.

Even the hill station of Dehradun in Uttarakhand recently experienced 43.2°C, its third-highest May maximum temperature on record.

Southern India experienced intense heat at the start of the summer, but later in the season, the extreme heat shifted more to the north.

“During early summer (March to April), regions like Maharashtra, Gujarat, and the southern peninsular areas experience higher temperatures because the sun is more directly overhead, providing intense solar radiation as it moves northward. By late summer (May to June), the sun is nearly directly over northern India, causing these regions to heat up significantly,” Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the director general of meteorology at IMD, told newspaper TOI.

Political analysts believe that high temperatures during elections played a crucial role in lower voter turnout compared to previous elections in many states. During the sixth phase of voting in the general election, it was reported that many voters in Mumbai returned home from polling stations due to the unbearable heat. In the last phase of Lok Sabha elections, an elderly man in UP's Ballia collapsed and died while standing in a voters' queue.

Published on: Sunday, June 09, 2024, 03:04 PM IST