Heat waves and cyclonic storms on the horizon; weathermen signal an extended, scorching summer
With the temperature soaring to new records all over the country, the weathermen signal an extended scorching summer with heat waves and cyclonic storms on the horizon. The scorching heat puts drinking water supply and animal fodder in danger and may adversely affect vegetable supplies, which in turn push up market prices, say experts.
But, to the relief of farmers, the dry and warm weather didn’t affect standing crop of wheat, mustard and gram, because the bulk of them have been already harvested. According to meteorological data, the temperature in Northern India is floating over 30 degrees, around 3 to 7 degrees higher than the average.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also warned to brace up for more intense April and May, as the probability of heatwaves is higher in the northwest and central parts of the country. The dry winter followed by a lack of normal pre-monsoon have made the situation worse.
Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Marathwada, Vidarbha, Madhya Maharashtra, and coastal Andhra Pradesh fall in the heatwave zone.
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