Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to chair meeting on heat wave mitigation tomorrow

The meeting will be attended by officials from NITI Aayog, Directorate General Of Health Services, DG Indian Council of Medical Research, Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi, MS Safdarjung , RML Hospital and LHC to review preparedness to tackle heat related illness due to heat waves and action plan for upcoming summer season.

Earlier, India Meteorological Department said that most parts of the country are likely to witness above normal maximum temperatures during April to June, with 10-20 days of heat waves expected in different parts

The Director General of Meteorology at IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, said at a press briefing that normal rainfall is also expected during the month of April across the country.

He was addressing a briefing on the seasonal outlook for the hot weather season of April to June.

"Above normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of country, especially with high probability over central India and western peninsular India," Mohapatra said.Mohapatra informed that normal to below normal maximum temperatures are likely over some parts of the western Himalayan region, north-east states and north Odisha to experience normal to below normal maximum temperatures.

On heatwave conditions, Mohapatra said: "Above normal heatwave days are likely over most parts in the plains of Country. 10 to 20 days of heat wave expected in different parts against normal of 4 to 8 days."

The most prone areas to an increased heatwave are Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and North Karnataka followed by Rajashtan MP and north Chattishfardh Oddisha Andra Pradesh,The maximum temperature during February and March was normal to below normal.Notably, heatwave is a period where local excess heat accumulates over a sequence of unusually hot days and nights.

As per IMD, a heat wave is considered if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius or more for Plains and at least 30 degrees Celsius or more for Hilly regionsDuring the briefing, Union Minister for Earth Sciences, Kiren Rijijiu asserted that it is a time to be alert and prepared.

"Our prepartuion has increased manifold in the last few years. It is a time to prepare and be alert. There are projections for extreme heatwaves during the next 3 months," he said.The IMD DG Mohapatra said that rainfall over the country during the month of April is most likely to be normal (88-112 per cent of LPA).

It is important to note that the Long period average (LPA) rainfall over the country during the month of April from 1971 to 2020 is about 39.2 mm.

"Normal to above-normal rainfall likely over most parts of the northwest, and some parts of central and north peninsular India. Below normal rainfall is likely over east and west coast, parts from east and northeast India south peninsular India," he said. (ANI)