IMD Paints North India Orange as Extreme Heatwave Conditions Continue

Weather report: On Thursday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for five states: Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha, as the intense heatwave swept across broad portions of the country. The scorching heat is also causing power shortages in the country, as electricity demand has increased.

Rainfall Prediction:

The weathermen have also shattered any prospects of rain till May 1^st as temperatures in Delhi reached over 45 degrees on Thursday.

"It's possible that the temperature in the city will reach 42 degrees. The temperature is anticipated to hit 44 to 45 degrees on the outskirts of Delhi. As a result, there will be a heatwave, and the alert level has been upgraded to orange "IMD's Rajendra Kumar Jenamani is a scientist.

Extreme heatwave conditions with soaring temperatures are also affecting parts of north India, such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Because of the active Western Disturbance and light rainfall, the IMD predicts some reprieve from May 2.  

However, the current weather conditions make getting out of the house for work and other activities quite difficult. People have reported experiencing burning in their eyes and skin due to the harsh weather outside.

India faces biggest power outage:

India is also experiencing its biggest power outage in more than six years, as hot temperatures drive schools to close early and residents to stay indoors. Rajasthan, in the northwest, has scheduled four hours of factory power outages, making it at least the third state to halt industrial activity to manage rising power demand.

Industrial disruption and widespread power outages are bad news for firms in the country, which has just recently begun to recover after months of stagnation due to coronavirus lockdowns.

Heatwaves and a pick-up in economic activity are likely to increase electricity demand at the quickest rate in nearly four decades, causing power outages to worsen in the coming days.