Agencies / New Delhi
With temperatures surpassing the 45°C-mark across several parts in north India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a “red” warning for Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Rajasthan for the next two days. The IMD has also issued an orange warning for heatwave for east UP, said Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of IMD's Regional Meteorological Centre.
He cautioned temperatures could soar up to 47°C in some parts over the next 2-3 days. This is also for the first time this summer season a red alert has been issued for heatwave, Srivastava said. This season, the temperatures did not rise the way it usually does in north and central India because of significant rainfall activity during April that continued till mid-May.
On Saturday, Pilani in Rajasthan recorded 46.7°C. “Heatwave conditions over parts with severe heatwave over isolated pockets are very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan, UP, MP, Vidarbha and Telangana during the next five days,” the IMD said in its daily bulletin.
It added heatwave conditions in isolated pockets over Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Gujarat, central Maharashtra and Vidarbha, coastal Andhra, Yanam, Rayalseema and north interior Karnataka are also likely during the next 3-4 days.
A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is at least 40°C and the departure from normal is 4.5°C to 6.4°C. For the plains, a heatwave is declared when the actual maximum temperature is 45°C and severe heatwave when it is 47°C or above. The IMD issues colour-coded warnings depending on the intensity of any weather system in ascending order - green, yellow, orange and red. Srivastava said the red warning has been issued to caution people not to step out during 1 pm to 5 pm, when the intensity of the heat is the most.
Meanwhile, the peak power demand is picking up and expected to touch a record high of 7,500 MW in July. Discom officials said Delhi’s power demand may surpass last year’s peak in July which was 7,409 MW.
Water coolers, rain guns, special diet of melons, cucumbers for Kanpur Zoo animals
Kanpur Zoo has installed water coolers and hay curtains along with a revised diet for animals to combat the sudden rise in temperature in the city. “With the spurt in the heat, we have taken multiple precautions for the animals to protect them from the sweltering heat. We have installed water coolers for the carnivores, hay curtains for the birds, and rain guns for the herbivores. The hay curtains are regularly watered,” said Dilip Gupta, Kanpur Zoo Rangers Officer.
