With the end of the winter and the spring, India has forecast intense heat waves in the coming months raising concerns over crop damages and strained power connectivity.
The weather office expects an enhanced probability of heat waves in most parts of the country during the three months ending May 31, according to S.C. Bhan, a senior scientist at India's meteorological department, a report by Bloomberg states.
According to the weather department, the temperature in Februrary was recorded at the highest since 1901 and the temperature is expected to soar higher in March. This may have an adverse effect on the wheat crop which is otherwise at a vulnerable stage.
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An early onset of hot weather has already pushed electricity demand to near-record levels and led to the farm ministry setting up a panel to monitor the impact on the wheat crop, which is expected to reach a record this year.
In December last year, the World Bank report titled “Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector” said the country is experiencing higher temperatures that arrive earlier and stay far longer.
The report stated that severe heat waves, responsible for thousands of deaths across India over the last few decades, are increasing with alarming frequency and soon the country could become one of the first places in the world to experience heat waves that break the human survivability limit.
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“In April 2022, India was plunged into the grip of a punishing early spring heat wave that brought the country to a standstill, with temperatures in the capital, New Delhi, topping 46 degrees Celsius (oC) (114 degrees Fahrenheit). The month of March, which witnessed extraordinary spikes in temperatures, was the hottest ever recorded”, it said.
(with PTI inputs)
