Amidst the imminent arrival of the ballot season and the impending meteorological upheavals, Minister for Earth Sciences, Kiren Rijiju, emphasized the imperative for all invested parties to brace themselves adequately. Anticipated climatic extremities loom over India in the upcoming span of two-and-a-half months, coinciding with the electoral fervor set to engulf the nation.
“The impending electoral fervor aligns with the foreboding atmospheric conditions set to unfold. Approximately a billion individuals are poised to exercise their electoral rights during this juncture,” articulated the minister during a convened press briefing. He underscored the significance of preemptive measures against the looming heat waves, following constructive deliberations with pertinent stakeholders.
The parliamentary elections in India are slated across seven phases spanning from April 19 to June 1. Minister Rijiju noted the concerted efforts undertaken by all stakeholders, including state administrations, in anticipation of the forthcoming electoral proceedings.
Further elaborating on the impending climatic patterns, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), outlined the anticipated scenarios. India braces for a period marked by severe heat from April through June, with the central and western peninsular regions poised to bear the brunt. The Himalayan belt, northeastern territories, and north Odisha, however, are anticipated to experience near-normal or subdued maximum temperatures.
A surge in heatwave occurrences is on the horizon, encompassing vast swathes of the Indian plains. The anticipated tally of heatwave days ranges between ten to twenty, significantly surpassing the customary four to eight-day span. Regions most susceptible to this climatic extremity include Gujarat, central Maharashtra, north Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, north Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh.
The month of April portends above-normal maximum temperatures across extensive tracts of the nation, particularly the central southern precincts. Conversely, the western Himalayan reaches and northeastern sectors are poised for normal or below-normal temperature indices. The month also forecasts an elevated frequency of heatwave incidents across central India, northern plains, and southern regions.
Mohapatra forewarns of prolonged spells of heatwave activity, spanning from two to eight days, in these zones, a stark contrast to the customary one to three-day occurrences. Gujarat, Maharashtra, north Karnataka, Odisha, western Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh are earmarked as the epicenters of this impending heatwave onslaught in April.