Early Warning System for Heatwaves

Context:

  • Total duration of heatwaves has increased by about three days during the last 30 years and a further increase of 12-18 days is expected by 2060.
  • In future climate, heatwaves will be spread to new areas including southern parts of India. Climate change is causing heatwaves more frequently, and they are much stronger and can last for more days.

Background:

  • A heatwave is a stretch of unseasonably high temperatures that normally lasts three days or longer.
  • Heatwaves typically occur in India between March and June. Every season, two to three heatwave incidents are typical.
  • Due to favourable meteorological conditions, heatwaves are primarily witnessed over two regions: central and northwest India and the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Causes:

  • Heat waves have numerous, interconnected effects on the economy, environment, agriculture, energy, and water.
  • Devastating effects were caused by the recent March–April 2022 heatwave in Pakistan and India.
  • At least 90 deaths are thought to have resulted from it in Pakistan and India. In northern Pakistan, it also caused a severe Glacial Lake Outburst Flood.
Early Warning System in India:
  • The India Meteorological Department (IMD), the National and State disaster management authorities, and municipal entities are all part of the country’s robust national framework for heat response plans.
  • The core of this heat action plan is the early warning system.
  • The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) had set up an advanced forecasting system for early warnings of heatwaves as part of the National Monsoon Mission.
  • IMD has the capacity to reasonably accurately forecast the genesis, length, and intensity of heatwave events up to four or five days in advance.

Source The Hindu