There was a heat wave where the temperatures reached 50 degrees Celsius on Sunday in Phalodi, Rajasthan. The pandemic has gripped much of India leaving millions suffering including those who have to come out and vote under the ongoing sixth phase of general elections. According to the Indian Meteorological Service (IMS), 50 degrees Celsius is an all-time high temperature. Since June 1, 2019, the country has hit 50.8 degrees Celsius maximum temperature.
On May 19, 2016, Phalodi recorded a highest ever recorded temperature for India at 51 degrees Celsius.
It’s strongly felt from northern plains and central parts of India even up into mountainous regions of Himachal Pradesh, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Thousands braved extreme hot weather in order to cast votes during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls held in eight UP states and Union Territories including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.
Most people had no shade while waiting. Some polling stations did not have water or coolers or chairs for old people thus they suffered more from heat exhaustion due to their lack.
Even as six locations in Delhi registered temperatures over and above 45 degree Celsius some voters fainted because of sweltering heat and wind there.
Cooch Behar (40.5 degrees) in West Bengal,Silchar (40 degrees)and Lumding(43degrees) in Assam as well as Itanagar (40.5degrees)and Pasighat(39.6degrees)in Arunachal Pradesh also witnessed record highs temperature.
In May Assam’s Tezpur(39.5), Mazbat(38.6), Dhubri(38.2), North Lakhimpur(39.2) and Mohanbari(38.8) also achieved record temperatures .
Official data showed that at least three places each from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat recorded maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius or above on Saturday.
Barmer (48.8 degrees Celsius), Jaisalmer (48 degrees Celsius) and Bikaner(47.2 degrees Celsius) in Rajasthan experienced high temperatures forcing the state’s disaster management department to ask district collectors for Arrangements to provide summer relief to human beings, animals and birds.
Areas that would continue experiencing extreme heat include Delhi, Rajasthan , Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra until May 29 .
“Red” warning has been issued for the states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, westerly Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat indicating a “very high possibility” of heat stroke. Heat stroke is suitable for all ages.
Further intense heat stress due to warm night conditions is likely over next four days in UP, Haryana, Punjab, Dlhi, Rajasthan,the IMD said.
The body does not have time cool down hence hot nights are more dangerous. Urban areas have higher night temperatures than rural areas due to urban heat island effect where cities are much hotter than their surroundings.
Delhi-NCR as urban areas have turned into heat cells due to concreteization of land surface,” said Akash Vashishtha who is the founder-general secretary of Environment and Biodiversity Conservation Society; he further added that this kind of Heat multiplication effect
Such severe conditions happen every year at this time but only because there are “urban heat islands” – vast concreted areas creating amplification effect for heating trapped in the lower atmosphere in NCR-Delhi region.”
Once incident solar radiation is reflected from the surface it lacks open space through which it can escape into upper atmosphere.
The horizontal and vertical concrete structure, he said, causes heat to be trapped resulting in a temperature rise of the environment as such.
Ground vegetation should be protected immediately by Vasishta to absorb solar radiation and reduce heat reflection and radiation from the surface.
Power grids have been overwhelmed in India by scorching temperatures which have also dried up water bodies thereby leading to drought-like conditions in some parts of the country.
Water storage in India’s 150 major reservoirs fell last week to its lowest level in five years, according to the Central Water Commission, compounding shortages elsewhere and hitting hydropower generation hard.
With high temperature, Delhi stretch of the Yamuna river is drying up causing shortage in water. The power demand hit a record 8,000 megawatts on Wednesday and all air conditioners, coolers and refrigerators were running at maximum levels both at homes or offices.
Not only this but frequent severe heat wave are an added burden on low-income housing that often lack water access or cooling while it puts pressure on outdoor workers that work under direct sunlight for many hours who take numerous breaks.
“Limited Hydropower supplies make it difficult for families with lower incomes to adapt to extreme heat”, said Anna Walnycki from the International Institute for Environment and Development based in London.
“Furthermore informal houses are usually poorly ventilated with little shade,” he added
Outdoor laborers especially old people and kids are more susceptible to sun burnouts than other members of society say experts.
At least 166,000 individuals died as a result of sunstroke between 1998-2017 according to World Health Organization reports.
India registered a total of 3,812 deaths due to heat wave between 2015-2022 with Andhra Pradesh alone reporting 2,419 cases during July last year according to Indian Government’s Parliament statement made on July 6th ,2013
People become less productive during hot seasons and children find it hard to learn.
Shamar Santra, a non-governmental organization, Rural India Transformation said that studies showed that students in hot academic seasons scored low as compared to those in cold academic years.
“With india having 15% of public schools without proper electricity connections or single-roomed schools, heat wave have an unequal impact on rural education outcomes,” he added.
In the absence of sufficient cold storage facilities, rising temperatures can cause huge losses in fresh produce. Cold chain facilities cover only 4% of fresh produce while India alone loses $13 billion worth of food annually on average according to studies.
According to a World Bank report, around 80 million people will lose their jobs due to loss of productivity from heat stress by 2030; out of this figure India may account for as much as 34 million.
