No heatwaves in country till Monday: IMD

New Delhi: More heatwaves are unlikely till Monday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, in a potential relief to a nation that has coped with searing temperatures for weeks.

Heatwave conditions have been prevailing in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh since mid-May after beginning in eastern India in mid-April.

Average temperatures have been ranging between 45-47°C but days have felt even hotter because of humidity and hot winds.

On Wednesday parts of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh recorded severe heatwaves.

Parts of Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar also recorded heatwaves, with maximum temperature hovering in the range of 43-45°C, 4-7°C above normal. 

The highest maximum temperature of 45.1°C was reported at Kanpur in eastern UP.

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The IMD warned that temperatures in eastern UP could rise by another 2-3°C after two days. Eastern India was set to cool with a 2-3°C fall in maximum temperatures in the next two days. "There will likely be no significant change in maximum temperatures for the rest of the country,” the weather bureau said.

Warm nights likely

However, hot and humid weather is expected in Odisha, lasting until Friday. Warm night conditions are likely in parts of northern Rajasthan until Saturday. 

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In the case of New Delhi, the city has recorded a day temperature of above 44°C on 10 days, so far and for one week at a stretch from the 12-18 June. The highest temperature of this month was 45.2°C on 17th June and the lowest of 41.2°C was registered on 6 June. The month of June 2024 has witnessed an unprecedented prolonged spell of scorching heat and is possibly heading for the hottest month on record. Relief is likely during the last week of the month.

Earlier, the capital city recorded its warmest night of the last 14 years on 18 June 2024. The base observatory at Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 34.8°C, about 7°C above the normal. The minimum temperature has been in excess of 33°C for 4 consecutive days between the 16 and 19 June, leading to extended spells of hot and humid nights.

On the southwest monsoon, IMD said, “It has further advanced into some more parts of Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Northwest Bay of Bengal, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and some parts of Bihar and conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of North Arabian Sea, Gujarat State, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Northwest Bay of Bengal, some parts of Gangetic West Bengal, remaining parts of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, some parts of Jharkhand, some more parts of Bihar and some parts of East Uttar Pradesh over the next three-four days.”

Meanwhile, IMD has in an update reported that heatwave conditions abated in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, north Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh on 20 June. Also, under the influence of a western disturbance and lower level easterlies from the Bay of Bengal, light to moderate rainfall has been observed over Jammu, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand along with these regions in the past 24 hours ended 8:30 am.

Monsoon yet to pick up pace

IMD on 31 May declared the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala, one day before its usual date, attributing it to cyclone Remal formed in the Bay of Bengal. Though it is progressing faster than usual over the Peninsula, it is yet to pick pace in eastern India.

In the case of northwest India, the onset date for Delhi is 30 June, and 5 July or after for Rajasthan.

Rainfall across the country since 1 June remained 17% deficient.

The southwest monsoon brings nearly 70% of the rain India needs for its farms and to refill reservoirs and aquifers.

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Timely arrival of the monsoon is crucial for India's agricultural sector, considering that around 56% of the net cultivated area and 44% of food production depend on monsoon rainfall. Normal precipitation is imperative for robust crop production, maintaining stable food prices, especially for vegetables, and bolstering growth.

Agriculture contributes about 14% to India's gross domestic product, underscoring the importance of a favourable monsoon for economic growth.