A scorching heatwave has engulfed several parts of India, particularly East India, with temperatures soaring as high as 43 to 46 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast indicating that this severe heatwave is expected to persist over East India for the next five days. States like Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha have already been grappling with heatwaves for the past week.
IMD has declared a severe heatwave when temperatures rise to 40 degrees Celsius in plains, 37 degrees Celsius in coastal areas, and 30 degrees Celsius in hilly regions, with departures from normal of at least 4.5 degrees Celsius. Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand are particularly affected, with temperature departures ranging from 4.5 to 7.6 degrees Celsius. In response to the extreme heat, the Odisha government has announced summer vacation for school students starting April 25, and Bangladesh has closed schools and colleges.
The rising temperatures have also had an impact on the general election process, with the first phase recording lower turnout. Experts attribute the lower turnout partly to the soaring temperatures. While the heatwave initially affects the eastern region, it is expected to gradually spread towards Northwest India, with parts of East Uttar Pradesh predicted to experience heatwave conditions. However, typical heatwave conditions may still be some time away due to regular western disturbances, according to experts from Skymet Weather, a private weather solution agency.
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