Severe heatwave alert! IMD predicts 2024 will become the hottest year on record

The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for many places in West Bengal and Odisha, in effect until the month's end. Additionally, an orange alert has been raised for sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Bihar and interior Karnataka.

The weather department has warned that "heatwave to severe heatwave" conditions are expected to persist over eastern and southern peninsular India in the next five days. A rise in maximum temperatures by 2-3°C is highly probable over East India in the next two days, and over Maharashtra and many parts of southern peninsular India in the subsequent five days.

The IMD has also forecasted a fresh spell of rainfall along with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds over the western Himalayan region from April 26 to 29. Similar weather conditions are expected to persist over the plains of northwest India from April 26 to 28, and adjoining Central India from April 26 to 27.

ALSO READ: Red alert for heatwaves in Odisha, West Bengal; IMD predicts rainfall, hailstorm in THESE states; Weather forecast here

The World Meteorological Organisation has recently confirmed that 2023 was the hottest year on record, with the global average near-surface temperature reaching 1.45°C above the pre-industrial baseline.

"The global mean near-surface temperature in 2023 was 1.45 ± 0.12 °C above the pre-industrial 1850-1900 average. 2023 was the warmest year in the 174-year observational record. This shattered the record of the previous warmest years, 2016 at 1.29 ± 0.12 °C above the 1850-1900 average and 2020 at 1.27±0.13 °C," the WMO said in March this year.

Both the IMD and WMO agree that 2024 is likely to set new records as the warmest year since temperature monitoring efforts began. The Meteorological Department has predicted a continuous increase in temperatures by May, resulting in severe heatwaves. The number of heatwave days is expected to be significantly higher than normal in the coming months, with a focus on North and Central India.

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Published: 26 Apr 2024, 03:45 PM IST