Heatwave alert: Orange alert issued in Bihar, yellow alert in other parts of western India

The current year has experienced the country's third-warmest April since 1901

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted severe heatwave conditions likely to prevail till April 21, which has led to an orange alert being issued for the state of  Bihar. States like West Bengal, Sikkim, Jharkhand and Odisha are under a yellow alert as well.

IMD reported that Khajuraho (East Madhya Pradesh) and Bankura (West Bengal) recorded the highest temperature of 43.6°C.

"Temperatures have fallen by 4°C or more at many places over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh and at a few places over Uttarakhand and Rajasthan; Fallen between 1-3°C over most places over Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana, Chandigarh &Delhi and at a few places over West Uttar Pradesh," stated IMD.

The current year has experienced the country's third-warmest April since 1901. As predicted by IMD, "Above-normal heatwave days are expected in most parts of central, east, and northwest India during this period".

But relief is soon expected as rainfall has been forecasted over several regions.

These include Uttarakhand, where an isolated hailstorm is expected near 20-21 April along with light to moderate rain and/or thunderstorms in certain regions.

Rajasthan is expected to have sporadic thunderstorms or dust storms. Whereas areas of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Vidarbha may experience light rainfall in the next five days.

Heatwaves claimed more than 17,000 lives in 50 years in India, according to a paper authored by M Rajeevan; and 13 people died from heatstroke at a Maharashtra government award function in Navi Mumbai on April 16, making it one of the highest death tolls from a single heatwave-related event in the country's history.

It has also been suggested that heatwaves have impeded India's progress towards achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) more significantly than previously thought, and that the current assessment metrics may not fully capture the impacts of heatwaves linked to climate change on the country.