Bhubaneswar: Large parts of India continued to reel under intense heatwave conditions on Tuesday, with temperatures rising sharply above seasonal averages across several major cities and regions.
In Delhi, temperatures ranged between 42°C and 46°C, while Ahmedabad and Nagpur recorded highs between 43°C and 45°C. Similar conditions prevailed in Jaipur and Lucknow, where temperatures hovered around 42°C to 44°C.
The situation remained particularly severe in Banda, where temperatures crossed the 48°C mark for the second consecutive day. Extreme heat conditions were also reported across the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.
Southern cities including Hyderabad and Chennai witnessed daytime temperatures in the mid-to-high 30s, accompanied by humid and uncomfortable weather. Mumbai remained comparatively cooler in the high 30s but experienced high humidity, while Kolkata also reported temperatures in the upper 30s.
The India Meteorological Department has warned that heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are likely to continue over the coming days, with temperatures expected to remain several degrees above normal in many areas. In isolated pockets, temperatures may continue to exceed 45°C before western disturbances and localised thunderstorms bring some relief to parts of northern and northeastern India.
Meteorologists stated that southern India is likely to continue experiencing hot days and humid nights, while northeastern and eastern regions may receive increased rainfall and thunderstorm activity.
Experts attribute the widespread and intense heatwave to a combination of domestic and global climatic factors. One major domestic contributor is the “urban heat island” effect, a phenomenon where cities record significantly higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas due to the replacement of vegetation with concrete, steel and glass infrastructure that absorb and retain heat.
Globally, developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific are also being linked to rising temperatures. According to modelling by the World Meteorological Organization, there is a high probability that El Niño conditions will strengthen between May and August.
El Niño and its counterpart La Niña are large-scale climate patterns originating in the Pacific Ocean that significantly influence weather systems and temperature variations across the world.
-OdishaAge
