India faces record-breaking heatwave with more extreme weather ahead
PTC News Desk: The senior meteorologist for the government said on Monday that the current heatwave in India is the longest it has ever been, and he issued a warning that the country's temperatures would only rise.
Since mid-May, a heatwave has engulfed parts of northern India, with temperatures rising to over 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).
"This has been the longest spell because it has been experienced for about 24 days in different parts of the country," Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the chief of India's Meteorological Department (IMD), stated in a daily interview with the Indian Express.
As the yearly monsoon rains move north this month, the temperature is predicted to drop, but Mohapatra issued a warning that worse is to come.
"Heatwaves will be more frequent, durable and intense, if precautionary or preventive measures are not taken," he stated. Even though India is the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, it has made a commitment to reach a net zero emissions economy by 2070, which is two decades after the majority of the industrialised West.
For the time being, the majority of its power is generated from coal.
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"Human activities, increasing population, industrialisation and transport mechanisms are leading to increased concentration of carbon monoxide, methane and chlorocarbons," stated Mohapatra.
"We are endangering not only ourselves, but also our future generations."
According to scientific studies, heatwaves are getting longer, more frequent, and more powerful due to climate change.
New Delhi's recent heatwave has brought the city's temperature up to par with its previous record high: Clocked at 49.2C (120.5F). With a record peak power demand of 8,302 megawatts, the energy grid sputtered as people tried to escape the sweltering heat.
An automatic weather station in the Mungeshpur area of Delhi recorded a high temperature of 52.9C (127.2F) on May 29, although the temperature was actually caused by a malfunctioning sensor.
On the same day, the maximum temperature at 17 other Delhi city stations reached 49C (120.2F).
"We constituted an expert committee, which observed readings for the next two days and found there were problems with the sensor," said Mohapatra.
For the first time, Mr. Mohapatra verified that the sensor was malfunctioning, even though the IMB had voiced its worries about the recording within hours.
"We inspect the AWS (automatic weather stations) every six months," he said.
- With inputs from agencies
