The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert due to a heat wave in Haryana. The orange alert implies a severe heat alert for the day and residents need to remain prepared.
For May 20 and May 21, there is an orange alert of heat waves in 15 districts of the state: Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Jind, Bhiwani, Rohtak, Sonepat, Charkhi Dadri, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Rewari, Mahendragarh, Faridabad, Palwal and Nuh and in the rest there is a yellow alert.
For a yellow alert, the residents are advised to remain updated. For May 22 and May 23, an orange alert is sounded for the entire state of Haryana, covering 22 districts.
For these two days, in addition to the above-mentioned 15 districts, Karnal, Panipat, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Ambala are also included. The heat wave conditions are likely to continue in the state till May 25.
According to IMD, mainly dry weather is likely to continue over Haryana and during the next five days, southern and western Haryana are likely to witness maximum temperatures in the range of 45-47 degrees Celsius.
The weather department has advised residents to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, especially during peak hours, keep hydrated, wear lightweight, light coloured and loose cotton clothes and cover the head using a cloth, a hat, an umbrella, etc
For farmers, it has been advised to avoid heat stress in crops while irrigating them in the evening or early morning hours.
On May 18, the highest maximum temperature over Haryana was observed at Sirsa (46.2°C). Heat wave conditions were observed at Sirsa (46.2) and Rohtak (45.2). The maximum temperature over Haryana was above normal having departures in the range of 1.6-3.0°C.
“The orange alert implies that residents remain prepared. There is a likelihood of heat illness symptoms in people who are exposed to the sun for longer periods or who do heavy work. There is a high health concern for vulnerable people like infants and the elderly," said Director, IMD, Chandigarh, Surender Paul.
He reasoned that heat wave conditions are due to the flow of westerlies from Rajasthan over Haryana and the development of an anti-cyclonic system.
