Unusual Heal Waves in Mumbai

  • March 16, 2022
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Unusual Heal Waves in Mumbai

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate change

Context- The Konkan region, including Mumbai, has been experiencing sweltering heat in the recent days, with the maximum temperatures touching the 40 degrees mark.

Concept-

What is a heatwave?

  • A region or locality is considered to be under the influence of heatwave if the maximum temperature reaches or exceeds 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, or 30 degrees Celsius in hilly regions.
  • Over the coastal regions, the threshold for the maximum temperature is 37 degrees.
  • When the maximum temperature departure ranges between 4.5 and 6 degrees, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) declares heatwave.
  • Likewise, severe heatwave is declared when the recorded maximum temperature of a locality departure from normal is over 6.4 degrees.
  • In India, heatwaves occur from March to June, occasionally in July. The peak heatwave events have been reported in the month of May.
  • As per the IMD, the most heatwave prone states are Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Vidarbha, and parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and occasionally over Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

So, why is Konkan experiencing heatwave conditions?

  • The ongoing heatwave in Konkan, including Mumbai, is because it is under the direct influence of the prevailing heatwave in the adjacent Saurashtra-Kutch regions of Gujarat.
  • The hot and dry winds from northwest India are reaching parts of Konkan.
  • In addition, the slow movement of sea breeze along the Maharashtra coast and the overall clear sky conditions have together resulted in such hot conditions.
  • The IMD has issued an ‘orange’ alert, warning that severe heat wave is likely to prevail over Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Palghar, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.

Colour Coded Weather Warnings:

  • It is issued by the IMD whose objective is to alert people ahead of severe or hazardous weather which has the potential to cause damage, widespread disruption or danger to life.
  • Warnings are updated daily.
  • The IMD uses 4 colour codes are:
Green (All is well)No advisory is issued.
Yellow (Be Aware)Yellow indicates severely bad weather spanning across several days. It also suggests that the weather could change for the worse, causing disruption in day-to-day activities.
Orange/Amber (Be prepared)The orange alert is issued as a warning of extremely bad weather with the potential of disruption in commute with road and rail closures, and interruption of power supply.
Red (Take Action)When the extremely bad weather conditions are certainly going to disrupt travel and power and have significant risk to life, the red alert is issued.

About IMD:

  • It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology
  • IMD was established in 1875.
  • It is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.

**** For Further reading refer to Optimize IAS https://optimizeias.com/mumbai-climate-action-plan-2/.

Environment Unusual Heal Waves in Mumbai