Heatwave in UP: IMD issues orange alert for these 8 districts, respite likely from tomorrow

Heatwave conditions over eastern India are likely to abate gradually from tomorrow (June 20), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday. Most parts of eastern India, including Uttar Pradesh, have been reeling under sweltering heat for the last few days, with temperatures touching 44 degrees Celsius. The weather office today said that maximum temperatures were in the range of 42-44 degrees over parts of Odisha, west Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and East Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.  

"Heatwave conditions will prevail in a few districts of Eastern UP, for which an Orange alert has been issued," Lucknow Meteorological Centre scientist Mohammad Danish said while speaking to the news agency PTI. "After that, the temperature will start falling, bringing relief to the people."

The IMD has issued an orange alert for Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau, and Ballia.

On Sunday, India Today reported that at least 98 people had died in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh due to severe heat in the last three days. While 54 people died in UP, 44 people lost their lives due to the extremely hot weather in Bihar. At least 54 people admitted to a district hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia died between June 15, 16, and 17, the report said.

At least 400 people were admitted to a district hospital in Ballia in the last three days with complaints of fever, breathlessness, and other health complications, an official said as per India Today.

In its latest update, the Met office today said that heat wave conditions are very likely to continue in some pockets over East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana during the next two days "and abatement of heatwave conditions thereafter".

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The Odisha government confirmed the first heat wave-related death on Sunday and sanctioned an ex gratia of Rs 50,000 for the deceased's family. The victim was a middle-aged person from the Balasore district, a senior official at the Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) office said on Sunday, adding that the state has so far received allegations of 20 deaths due to heat waves.

The capital city of Bhubaneswar on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 33.2 degree Celsius and overall humidity level of 76 per cent by 8.30 am, IMD said. Jharsuguda logged the highest maximum temperature of 37.4 degrees, followed by 36.4 in Sambalpur at 8.30 am on Sunday.

IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Monday said that monsoon is in the active stage in the northeastern states and extremely heavy rainfall is expected today and heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted for the next two days in Assam and Meghalaya. Sikkim and sub-Himalayan West Bengal will witness very heavy to heavy rainfall in the next two days, he said, adding that monsoon has advanced towards Gangetic West Bengal, the northeastern part of Jharkhand and adjoining area of Bihar.

Sharing updates on cyclone Biparjoy that struck the western coast, Dr Naresh Kumar, IMD's Senior Scientist, said the cyclone remnant was prevailing over northwest Rajasthan. "It is a well-marked low-pressure area as of now...Rainfall will decrease in east Rajasthan from tomorrow but it will continue as very heavy rainfall," he said.

Western Madhya Pradesh is likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall which will decrease gradually, the scientist said. "Southwest UP is also likely to experience heavy rainfall in the next two days. Delhi-NCR is also receiving rainfall. This will continue for 2 days...Heatwave scenario will continue for 2 days and decrease thereafter."

(With inputs from PTI)