The IMD has issued a ‘red alert’ for Odisha and West Bengal, an ‘orange alert’ for Bihar and Jharkhand, and a ‘yellow alert’ for eastern Uttar Pradesh and northern parts of Kerala due to severe heatwave conditions.
Panagarh in Paschim Bardhaman district recorded West Bengal’s highest temperature at 44.6 degrees Celsius. Kolkata reached 41.1 degrees Celsius. The other places which recorded above 40 degree Celsius temperatures are Medinipur(43.5), Bankura (43.2), Barrackpore (43.2), Bardhaman (43), Asansol (42.5), Purulia (42.7) and Sriniketan (42).
Maximum temperatures reported (≥40°C) at 1730 hrs IST of today, the 27th April 2024: pic.twitter.com/f0S1MK5a0y
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) April 27, 2024
In Odisha, Angul recorded a scorching 44.7 degrees Celsius, while Bhubaneswar touched 44.6 degrees Celsius, breaching the 44-degree mark for the first time this season.
Residents experienced relief from the heat after Friday’s rainfall brought down the maximum temperature to 38°C on Saturday. However, IMD forecasts predict a return to temperatures above 40°C by Monday.
Light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms is expected over Jammu and Kashmir and Tamil Nadu. Madhya Pradesh, the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, and north Telangana are also expected to experience rainfall and lightning.
Intermittent rain accompanied by thunderstorms and hail lashed several parts of Himachal Pradesh, with fresh snowfall in tribal areas causing a sharp drop in temperature and closure of over 60 roads.
The Ministry of Animal Husbandry has taken several measures in response to the bird flu outbreak, including a total restriction on the sale and purchase of all birds in affected areas. Rapid response teams have been deployed to contain the spread of the virus.
