What is heat wave? Many countries including India are in its grip, it is the cause of lakhs of deaths. what is Heat Wave excessively hot weather in India and other countries

Since the last few decades, the continuous increase in the incidence of heatwaves all over the world, including India, has started affecting life seriously.

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lekhaka-Rajkumar Pal

Published: Wednesday, March 1, 2023, 13:45 [IST]

Heatwave: This time in the month of February itself, the heat like May and June has started to be felt. This is a serious danger signal. Actually, the India Meteorological Department has issued a new heatwave alert. According to the Meteorological Department, this time the increased temperature in the month of February has been the hottest in the last 122 years. Earlier, such a high average monthly maximum temperature across India was recorded in the year 1901. At the same time, the department has predicted a severe heatwave in most parts of the country till May 31.

What is heatwave?

A heatwave is a period of extremely hot weather. When the temperature exceeds the average high temperature of an area, it is called a heatwave or heat wave. According to the India Meteorological Department, when the maximum temperature of the plains reaches 40 °C and the hilly areas reach 30 °C, the heatwave starts.

That is, if the average high temperature of that area increases by 6.4 degrees and the temperature reaches about 40 to 47 degrees Celsius, then it is called a severe heatwave. On the other hand, in the coastal areas, when the average high temperature increases by 4.5 degree Celsius, that is, it becomes about 37 degree Celsius, then it will be called heatwave.

Heatwave can be seen broadly as a climatic phenomenon. The surrounding environmental factors play an important role in this. Actually, due to the high atmospheric pressure system, the air living in the upper level of the atmosphere is brought down and rotated. This increases the temperature due to contraction in the air and the air cannot escape from there. This creates heatwave.

heatwave affected states in india

Heatwave is a common occurrence during the summer months in India. In the months before the onset of monsoon (June), most areas of the country face heatwave. According to a study in 2013, about half of India, including parts of northern, northwestern, central, eastern and peninsular India, experiences heatwaves for about 8 days during summer.

According to the World Health Organisation, heatwaves in India usually occur from March to June. In some rare cases it extends even till July. The northern parts of the country experience an average of five-six heatwave events every year. And sometimes these incidents go on for weeks. This affects a large population of India.

Large part of the world in the grip of heatwave

According to the World Economic Forum, the world is gradually coming under the grip of this heatwave. Due to the heatwave, there have been incidents of terrible fire in many forests of Europe. At the same time, it has affected millions of people all over Europe. While many countries from India and Pakistan to Tunisia and Europe are already facing heat waves by the year 2022. Scientists believe that climate change is making heat waves worse.

heatwave forecast

Forecasting of heatwaves is possible through today’s satellite technology. Potential hazards can be minimized by this prior estimation. Significantly, the Indian Meteorological Department can predict the arrival of heatwave about four weeks in advance. After this, graphical warnings are prepared at the sub-divisional level and issued on a weekly basis.

how many deaths due to heatwave

According to the World Health Organization, it is directly affecting people due to climate change. It is also being affected globally due to extreme temperature rise. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of people exposed to heatwaves increased by about 125 million. And in 2015 alone, 175 million more people came under the grip of heatwave than in any other year.

This heatwave caused 56,000 deaths in 2010 alone during 44 days of extreme heat in Russia. While according to metoffice.gov.uk in August 2003 a record breaking heat wave in Europe killed more than 20,000 people. Not only this, according to the Forbes report, even in 2022, there were more than 20,000 deaths due to heat throughout Western Europe.

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