IMD releases list of India's hottest cities: Check here
What's the story
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) released a list of the hottest cities in the country that recorded maximum temperatures above 44 °C on Friday. This came as heatwave conditions continued to prevail across several parts of India amid predictions of a further rise in temperatures in the coming weeks. Lately, a majority of cities have reportedly been witnessing temperatures higher than 40 °C.
Context
Why does this story matter?
India is witnessing an intense heatwave ahead of peak summer, which has caught authorities off guard. This year, Delhi recorded its second-warmest April in 72 years. Meanwhile, the average maximum temperature in the northwest and central India in April was the highest in the last 122 years. The sweltering heat has increased power demand, resulting in coal shortages and power blackouts in several states.
Hottest cities
List of hottest Indian cities, as per IMD
As per the IMD's list of the hottest cities—released on Friday—the following are in the top eight spots: Banda (UP): 47.4 °C Prayagraj (UP): 46.8 °C Sriganganagar (Rajasthan) and Chandrapur (Maharashtra): 46.4 °C Nowgong (MP) and Jhansi (UP): 46.2 °C Najafgarh and Pitampura (Delhi) and Gurugram (Haryana): 45.9 °C Daltonganj (Jharkhand) and Ridge (Delhi): 45.7 °C Wardha (Maharashtra): 45.5 °C Khajuraho (MP): 45.4 °C
Twitter Post
Take a look at the entire list released by IMD
Maximum Temperature dated 29-04-2022 pic.twitter.com/bYMLfUZtCZ
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) April 29, 2022
Heatwave
Maximum average temperatures in northwest, central India
On Saturday, the IMD stated regions in the northwest and central India recorded the highest average maximum temperature in 122 years. The maximum average temperature in northwest India in April was 35.9 °C. It is 3.35 °C higher than the long-term average regarded as normal. Meanwhile, that of central India in April was 37.78 °C, higher than the 37.75 °C registered in 1973.
Climate Change
Climate change is affecting India
Meanwhile, last month, Abinash Mohanty—Programme Lead at the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW)—said IMD's heatwave alerts reflect the effects of climate extremes in recent years. This had also aligned with projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. "Increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme events...is a result of human-caused landscape disruptions...which causes temperature and precipitation anomalies," Mohanty had said.
Power crisis
Power crisis gripping India amid coal shortage
According to the Union Power Ministry, India's peak power demand reached an all-time high of 207.11 gigawatts on Friday. Amid the rise in power demand, the shortage of coal is forcing several power plants to not operate at full capacity, triggering outages in many states. The problem has also been exacerbated by a sharp increase in imported coal prices due to the Russia-Ukraine war.