THIRUVANANTHAPURAM The IMD, along with its technical partners, will review the criteria for declaring heatwave conditions in the country soon, as the existing criteria do not fit India’s geographical conditions, according to official sources here.
Kerala, in particular, has faced difficulties in issuing heatwave warnings due to restrictions on current standards.
Sources in the India Meteorological Department said the state witnessed extreme heat and humidity this summer and, for the first time, a weather forecast was prepared based on the anti-cyclone system that formed near the Karnataka-Maharashtra coast.
“We have never had an anti-cyclone system closer to the south before, and this time we had to forecast the weather based on that,” a senior IMD official told PTI.
Anticyclonic systems are common in northwestern parts of India, but one formed this year near the southern region, resulting in unusually hot nights.
The official added that the anticyclone caused a downward movement of air, which pushed warm air toward the surface and prevented it from dispersing at night. As a result, Kerala recorded night temperatures 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal.
The official added that since Kerala has witnessed a steady rise in temperatures during the summer months over the past few years, changing the norms for declaring heatwaves would benefit the state, enabling authorities to issue warnings more efficiently.
The IMD is currently issuing hot and humid weather warnings, although the situation warrants a heatwave warning, as the current parameters do not allow the department to issue a warning.
The institute currently issues a heat wave warning in coastal areas when the maximum temperature reaches 37 degrees Celsius or more, with a temperature difference of 4.5 degrees Celsius from the maximum recorded temperature.
For plains, the threshold is 40°C with a departure of 4.5°C or more above normal, while in mountainous areas it is 30°C with an deviation of 4.5°C or more.
Officials said current heat wave declaration standards also require that these conditions be recorded at two stations in the state to issue warnings.
“In Kerala, we can barely record these conditions in two districts; moreover, we have severe heat stress that can easily cause heatstroke. So we have decided to rework the norms for declaring heatwave and the changes will be implemented soon. There will be consultations with the Disaster Management Authority as well before finalizing the norms,” the official said.
Across Kerala, temperatures recorded this summer were three to four degrees Celsius higher than normal. The state has also reported multiple cases of heatstroke despite regular warnings issued by the IMD and the State Disaster Management Authority.
According to experts, Kerala has become a climate change hotspot, with a steady increase in atmospheric temperatures and erratic monsoons.
The IMD also expects below-normal monsoon rains this year, as this is the first time El Niño has been witnessed in two consecutive years.
This article was generated from an automated news feed without any modifications to the text.
