The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Saturday that a red alert has been issued for Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal due to severe heatwave conditions in these areas.
Soma Sen Roy, a senior scientist at IMD, highlighted that severe heatwave conditions have persisted in Gangetic West Bengal for several days, warranting the issuance of a red alert. She also noted that while the severity of the heatwave in Odisha, particularly in North Odisha, is not as high as in West Bengal, it remains significant enough to prompt a red alert.
Additionally, Roy emphasized that temperatures are currently significantly elevated and above normal in eastern and peninsular India. Heatwave conditions are also being experienced in East India, South Peninsular India, and the northern parts of Kerala. IMD has issued an Orange alert for East India, covering Bihar and Jharkhand, and a Yellow alert for Eastern Uttar Pradesh and the northern parts of Kerala.
Regarding the weather in northern parts of the country, IMD scientists observed significant thunderstorm activity in some areas, including Delhi, on the previous day. However, they anticipate less weather activity over the North Indian Plains on the current day. Thunderstorms and heavy rains are expected to persist over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh in the Western Himalayan region, prompting an orange alert. A yellow alert has been issued for Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, among other areas. Furthermore, IMD predicts an enhancement in thunderstorm activity, particularly over North-West India, starting from April 29, 2024.
Sen Roy further mentioned that there will be no influence of western disturbances in East India, and heatwave conditions are expected to persist in the eastern region.