The intense heatwave that is sweeping India took the lives of more than 2,330 people, with at least 1,719 of them killed in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana alone. Both the states were the hottest, with Andhra at a blistering 113 degrees Fahrenheit and Telangana at 109. The worst sufferers were the labourers and the elderly who endured sunstroke or severe dehydration. The state governments launched publicity campaigns, warning the public against the extremities of being outdoors in the condition. Andhra government set up tents or temporary stands that distributed free water and buttermilk. Telangana government resorted to the local media to promote awareness and methods on staying safe and taking precautions.
India's Weather Department said monsoon, that begins on June 1, is most likely to be delayed by four to six days. Other parts of India has also taken toll by the rising temperature with Rajasthan, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh, fluttering between 45 and 47 degrees. An Orange Alert was issued in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, last week, when 10 people succumbed to the heat.
The current heatwave is said to be the second deadliest in India, by the International Database of Disasters. The worst was recorded in 1998, when 2,541 people had lost their lives. Temperatures hit a high of 48 degrees Celsius in some cities last week - that's 118 degrees Fahrenheit.
On Monday, India's highest maximum temperature - of 45.4 C or 113.7 F - was recorded at Daltongan in Jharkhand state. Heat wave conditions remain in isolated areas of that state, as well as some areas of Bihar.
Govt downgrades monsoon forecast
India cut this year's forecast for monsoon rains to 88 per cent of the long-term average, earth sciences minister Harsh Vardhan said on Tuesday, raising fears of a drought in the country where nearly half of farmland lacks irrigation facilities.
India in April had forecast monsoon rains at 93 per cent of the average. Rainfall of less than 90 per cent is considered to be a drought year. The latest prediction, however, has an error margin of 4 percentage points either way.
"Let's pray to God that the revised forecast does not come true," Vardhan said. The government expressed concerns about a below-par monsoon after the central bank, taking advantage of subdued inflation, cut interest rates for a third time this year on Tuesday.
Prices of essential commodities have already started rising and they will rise further if the monsoon remains deficient as forecast by the government," said Harish Galipelli, head of commodities and currencies at Inditrade Derivatives and Commodities.
"It's not good news for the farming community that is under distress. Last year their harvest was affected by poor rainfall and unseasonal rains. This year's drought will deepen their problems."
Anger is growing in the countryside after unseasonal rain and hailstorms ravaged farms earlier this year, pushing many debt-laden farmers to suicide.
Monsoon progress sluggish
The onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala has been delayed from the date forecast by the Met department due to its "sluggish" pace. The normal date for onset of monsoon over Kerela is June 1. It also marks the official onset on rains in India. This year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted that it will hit the southern state on May 30.
According to Skymet, a private forecasting agency, monsoon arrived over Andaman and Nicobar Islands on May 16, three days prior to the onset date. Since then, the advance has been slow. By May 21, the southwest monsoon advanced over Bay of Bengal touching southern parts of Sri Lanka. But here on, the monsoon stagnated for a week.
"The Arabian Sea branch of the southwest monsoon made very slow advance and is yet to reach the extreme southern tip (Kerala) of India. Cloud build up on either side of the sea was looking promising till a few days back for the timely onset over Kerala. However, it slowed down as the cloud pattern became a little diffused and unorganized," Skymet said.
However, the IMD has refused to call it a delay, but said that the progress was sluggish. "As per our forecast, there is +/- difference of four days, which is from May 27 to June 3. At this moment, monsoon has already entered the Arabian Sea, crossed Sri Lanka and entered the Bay of Bengal. We are closely monitoring its progress. During the progress of monsoon, it is often observed that its pace varies," said Krishnanand Hosalikar, deputy director, IMD.
"In the last 24 hours, Karnataka has observed good rainfall. Kerala too experienced good rains on May 28.
.
