Blistering heat continues in north, central India; hills scorch

New Delhi, Jun 14 (PTI) A relentless heatwave continued to scorch large parts of north and central India for the sixth consecutive day on Saturday, with maximum temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius in several cities and high temperatures reported in parts of the hilly states.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said maximum temperatures remained more than 5.1 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya and at isolated places in sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.

Temperatures were also appreciably above normal in many areas of Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. Experts warn that persistent heat in these hilly regions could lead to faster glacier melt, increase the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and intensify forest fire vulnerability.

Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar and Churu were among the hottest places in the country on Saturday, each recording a maximum of 46.5 degrees Celsius, 5 and 4.1 degrees above normal, respectively.

In Uttar Pradesh, Prayagraj and Kanpur recorded highs of 45 and 44.9 degrees Celsius, while Ghazipur (44.5) logged a departure of 6.3 degrees above normal. In Madhya Pradesh, Hoshangabad reported 45.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Khajuraho (44.7 degrees), Nowgong (44.6 degrees) and Gwalior (42.5 degrees).

Rohtak in Haryana recorded 44.3 degrees Celsius, while Chandigarh reported 42.2 degrees Celsius. In Punjab, Patiala and Amritsar saw temperatures of 42.6 and 42 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The national capital also experienced scorching conditions, with maximum temperatures of 42.2 degrees Celsius at Aya Nagar and 42 degrees Celsius at Palam. The heat index, a measure of how hot it feels when humidity is factored in, soared to an alarming 53.8 degrees Celsius in Delhi.

India experienced a relatively cooler May this year due to the early arrival of the monsoon and frequent thunderstorms in the northwest and central regions.

But a sharp drop in rainfall since early June has caused temperatures to rise rapidly, triggering widespread heatwave conditions since June 8-9.

Even parts of the hill states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have been experiencing hotter-than-usual weather over the last few days.

According to the IMD's extended range forecast, the monsoon is now likely to cover the remaining parts of central and eastern India and some areas of northwest India by June 18. It is expected to advance over most of northwest India between June 19 and June 25.

An IMD official said the system is likely to reach Delhi by June 22-23, ahead of the normal onset date of June 30.

The southwest monsoon usually makes its onset over Kerala by June 1, reaches Mumbai by June 11 and covers the entire country by July 8. It starts retreating from northwest India around September 17 and withdraws completely by October 15.

Severe and frequent heatwaves are making life harder for low-income households with limited access to water and cooling.

Experts warn that outdoor workers, the elderly, and children are at high risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Last year, hospitals in India reported nearly 48,000 cases of heatstroke and 159 deaths due to extreme heat.

Between 2015 and 2022, 8,171 people died due to extreme heat outside hospitals, according to National Crime Records Bureau data.

Health Ministry records accessed by PTI show that 3,812 heat-related deaths occurred in hospitals during the same period.

However, experts say India's fragmented death reporting system and difficulties in directly linking deaths to heat exposure mean the actual toll is likely much higher. PTI GVS RHL RHL