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Bengaluru: Indians will have to put up with the intense ongoing heatwave for around four more days, per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). On May 25 and 26, multiple red, orange and yellow heatwave warnings were issued for most parts of the country.

It’s currently a scorching 43-47 degrees Celsius in most parts of northwest and central India, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of the eastern and northern peninsular India (the Deccan). Most other parts of India, meanwhile, are burning at 40-43 degrees Celsius – except for parts of the western Himalaya, northeast India and western south India.

Per the IMD’s May 26 bulletin, Banda in Uttar Pradesh and Brahmapuri in Maharashtra recorded the highest maximum temperatures for May 25, at 47.6 degrees Celsius.

While water scarcities in many of these regions are aggravating the impacts of the heatwave, scientists warn that India is likely to witness 

The IMD’s bulletins on May 25 and 26 show most parts of India still very much in the grip of an intense heatwave. On Monday, May 25, it issued multiple  heatwave warnings – red, orange and yellow – for many parts of India. 

Most parts of northwest and central India, Uttar Pradesh, parts of the eastern and northern peninsular India (the Deccan) – are all flagged with orange and red alerts on May 25 and 26. The red alert then reduces to fewer areas (parts of Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh) on May 27. 

The IMD has issued orange and yellow heatwave warnings for most of these parts of northwest and central and eastern India for May 28. For May 30, the IMD has issued a warning (yellow) for only some parts of Rajasthan. With this, the heatwave is expected to subside by May 31.

Yellow alerts are for areas that are expected to experience moderate temperatures, where the heat is tolerable for the general public but can be of “moderate health concern” for vulnerable sections such as infants, the elderly, and people with chronic diseases. Orange alerts are for areas that could witness high temperatures, and an increased likelihood of symptoms of heat-related illnesses in people who are either exposed to sun for a prolonged period or do heavy work. In such areas, there are ‘high health concerns’ for vulnerable people.

Red alerts, the gravest alert level per the IMD, is for areas where all people........

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