Sweltering heat returns to northwest India as monsoon season nears
Another heat wave is expected to bear down on northwestern India this weekend, and AccuWeather meteorologists say the heat will persist into the start of June.
By
Nicole LoBiondo, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published May 26, 2022 7:27 AM EST
|
Updated May 28, 2022 4:14 AM EST
Tankers with water sprinklers were spraying the streets in parts of India on May 15 during a heat wave, while those commuting beat the heat by wearing scarves over their heads.
Although the week started with a welcome break from temperatures in the triple digits, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that yet another heat wave is on the horizon for northwestern portions of India and Pakistan. Unfortunately, the typical start of the monsoon, which could provide relief from high temperatures, is a month away.
Following a record-breaking March and a searing April, May has continued to be unusually hot across much of northwestern India. Climate stations in New Delhi and Mumbai have averaged 2.2 - 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 - 1.5 degrees Celsius) above normal, respectively, so far this month.
Trucks with water tankers spray residents and motorists in parts of India where heat waves have ravaged the region over the past several months. (AccuWeather)
The heat wave last week caused afternoon high temperatures in New Delhi to soar to 113 F (45 C) on Friday, May 20, but highs reached only 89 F (32 C) on Monday, May 23, bringing an end to the stretch of triple-digit heat since the beginning of May.
Although milder conditions in the 80s and low 90s have ruled much of the week in New Delhi, the weather is beginning to turn hot once again.
Heat began to build over northwestern India on Friday, with high temperatures in the major cities across the region reaching into the low to mid-100s F.
June 2022 AccuWeather forecast high temperatures for New Delhi, India.
"There is a good chance heat wave conditions will take hold of the area most of next week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls explained.
The heat wave will peak by the middle of next week when afternoon high temperatures in New Delhi and Jaipur, a city about 170 miles (269 km) southwest of New Delhi, are set to reach the upper 100s F.
Brutal heat waves pose many impacts, including but not limited to power outages and heatstroke. The risk of heat-related illnesses is particularly higher for the portions of the Indian population that work outdoors or have no access to air conditioning.
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March of 2022 was the hottest March for India since 1901, according to meteorologists from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). When averaged across the entire country, March's average high temperature was an astonishing 3.35 F (1.86 C) above the climatological average.
For two sections of the country, April was yet another record-breaking month. The Director General of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, told Reuters that northwestern and central India recorded average max temperatures of 96.6 and 100 F (35.9 and 37.78 C) respectively in April. These values are the highest ever recorded for each region since historical records began in 1900.
In April, there were just two days out of the entire month when the high temperature in New Delhi did not reach or surpass 100 F (38 C).
The heat is not the only weather phenomenon residents of northwestern India will have to worry about over the next several days.
Air quality is another factor that piles onto the population's general risk during heat waves. (AccuWeather)
"There is a chance for isolated areas of blowing dust in western Rajasthan, a providence of India that borders Pakistan in the northwestern portion of the country, this weekend," Nicholls explained.
Not only does intense heat take a serious toll on the human body, but recent dry conditions in western Rajasthan have led to drought in the region. Any gusty winds could loft dry topsoil, causing reductions in visibility and disruptions in travel.
Many residents in the region are anxiously waiting for the start of the monsoon season, and while some may find reprieve from the heat wave in the form of rain, others may find themselves continuing to wait.
"Monsoon onset is possible in Kerala, India, over the next few days, which is located in far southwestern India, but it is highly unlikely the monsoon reaches northwestern India until late June, which is typical," Nicholls continued to say.
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News / Weather Forecasts
Sweltering heat returns to northwest India as monsoon season nears
Another heat wave is expected to bear down on northwestern India this weekend, and AccuWeather meteorologists say the heat will persist into the start of June.
By Nicole LoBiondo, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published May 26, 2022 7:27 AM EST | Updated May 28, 2022 4:14 AM EST
Tankers with water sprinklers were spraying the streets in parts of India on May 15 during a heat wave, while those commuting beat the heat by wearing scarves over their heads.
Although the week started with a welcome break from temperatures in the triple digits, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that yet another heat wave is on the horizon for northwestern portions of India and Pakistan. Unfortunately, the typical start of the monsoon, which could provide relief from high temperatures, is a month away.
Following a record-breaking March and a searing April, May has continued to be unusually hot across much of northwestern India. Climate stations in New Delhi and Mumbai have averaged 2.2 - 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 - 1.5 degrees Celsius) above normal, respectively, so far this month.
Trucks with water tankers spray residents and motorists in parts of India where heat waves have ravaged the region over the past several months. (AccuWeather)
The heat wave last week caused afternoon high temperatures in New Delhi to soar to 113 F (45 C) on Friday, May 20, but highs reached only 89 F (32 C) on Monday, May 23, bringing an end to the stretch of triple-digit heat since the beginning of May.
Although milder conditions in the 80s and low 90s have ruled much of the week in New Delhi, the weather is beginning to turn hot once again.
Heat began to build over northwestern India on Friday, with high temperatures in the major cities across the region reaching into the low to mid-100s F.
June 2022 AccuWeather forecast high temperatures for New Delhi, India.
"There is a good chance heat wave conditions will take hold of the area most of next week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls explained.
The heat wave will peak by the middle of next week when afternoon high temperatures in New Delhi and Jaipur, a city about 170 miles (269 km) southwest of New Delhi, are set to reach the upper 100s F.
Brutal heat waves pose many impacts, including but not limited to power outages and heatstroke. The risk of heat-related illnesses is particularly higher for the portions of the Indian population that work outdoors or have no access to air conditioning.
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March of 2022 was the hottest March for India since 1901, according to meteorologists from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). When averaged across the entire country, March's average high temperature was an astonishing 3.35 F (1.86 C) above the climatological average.
For two sections of the country, April was yet another record-breaking month. The Director General of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, told Reuters that northwestern and central India recorded average max temperatures of 96.6 and 100 F (35.9 and 37.78 C) respectively in April. These values are the highest ever recorded for each region since historical records began in 1900.
In April, there were just two days out of the entire month when the high temperature in New Delhi did not reach or surpass 100 F (38 C).
The heat is not the only weather phenomenon residents of northwestern India will have to worry about over the next several days.
Air quality is another factor that piles onto the population's general risk during heat waves. (AccuWeather)
"There is a chance for isolated areas of blowing dust in western Rajasthan, a providence of India that borders Pakistan in the northwestern portion of the country, this weekend," Nicholls explained.
Not only does intense heat take a serious toll on the human body, but recent dry conditions in western Rajasthan have led to drought in the region. Any gusty winds could loft dry topsoil, causing reductions in visibility and disruptions in travel.
Many residents in the region are anxiously waiting for the start of the monsoon season, and while some may find reprieve from the heat wave in the form of rain, others may find themselves continuing to wait.
"Monsoon onset is possible in Kerala, India, over the next few days, which is located in far southwestern India, but it is highly unlikely the monsoon reaches northwestern India until late June, which is typical," Nicholls continued to say.
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