What is a heat wave?
- It's a period of abnormally high temperatures, more than the normal maximum temperature that occurs during the summer season in the North-Western parts of India.
- Heat Waves typically occur between March and June, and in some rare cases even extend till July.
- India's Heat Wave is now the 5th deadliest heat wave of history
- The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has given the following criteria for Heat Waves:
- Heat Wave need not be considered till maximum temperature of a station reaches
- For plains - 40C
- For hills - 30C
Heat Wave Condition as per definition given by IMD
S.No.
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Normal Maximum Temperature of place (in Celsius)
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Heat Wave would be declared if this much temperature (in celsius) is above the normal
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Severe Heat Wave would be declared if this much temperature (in celsius) is above the normal
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1
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Less than or equal to 40
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5-6
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7
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2
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More than 40
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4-5
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6
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3
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Actual Maximum Temperature is 45 or more irrespective of normal maximum temperature
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Heat Wave declared without any condition
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Heat Wave declared without any condition
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- The heat waves in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Telangana and other states have killed 2300+ people by June 4 2015.
- The 2015 heat wave had the highest recorded temperature since 1995
- Heat waves happen every year in India during the dry season and before the Monsoons give relief but 2015 heat wave is exceptionally hot and it has taken a very high toll in few days only.
- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,Punjab, UP, Odisha and Bihar suffered worst.
- No lessons learnt from earlier heat waves every year or specific years where more deaths happened like:
- 1998 - Orissa,
- 2003 - Andhra Pradesh
- 2010 - Bad affect on Ahmedabad + global Heat wave took thousands of lives.
- Indian Meteorological Department issued “red box” warnings for Odisha, Jharkhand and coastal Andhra Pradesh, signalling high chances of heatstroke, dehydration and fatality with temperatures inching upwards of 45°C and conditions worsened by constant dry, sweltering winds.
- The “red box” warning by IMD refers to high chances of heatstroke, dehydration and fatality with temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius, worsened by a constant dry wind.
Why it is happening so in 2015?
- Pre-monsoon showers - less
- brought less moisture leaving parts of India dry and arid.
- They suddenly ended
- El-nino
- Climate Change
-
According to IPCC report also: Heat waves and heavy rains are intensifying
- Drinking water, Oral rehydration salts and intravenous fluids are made available at public places
- Emergency medical camps
- Awareness campaign advising citizens to not leave their homes at noon unless absolutely necessary
- No alcohol, caffeine or aerated drink
- Poultry industry is sensitive to heat waves with high bird mortality rate
- The worst affected are poor, ill and old to which even the disaster management authorities have admitted
- Isn't it mockery of these people when we advice them to remain indoors for several hours, drink plenty of water (and buttermilk), wear only cotton clothes and so on? How will a daily wage labourers, drivers of non-air-conditioned vehicles, delivery services’ personnel, workers in industrial units where high temperatures are a constant, the homeless and the destitute to follow this “well-intentioned” advice?
- Others who get affected
- People without enough nutrition, medicines and doctors, shelter and unawareness of government schemes
- All above leads to morbidity and mortality
- Possible health hazards
- Heat stroke and heat exhaustion are the two major risks posed by high-temperature conditions.
- Nausea and heat cramps, resulting in rapid rise of the body temperature.
- Dehydration (absence of adequate water within the body). The symptoms of this are:
- Headaches,
- dizziness
- Nausea are some of the symptoms
- Heat Cramps: Edema (swelling) and Syncope (Fainting) generally accompanied by fever below 39*C i.e.102*F.
- Heat Exhaustion: Fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and sweating.
- Heat Stoke: Body temperatures of 40*C i.e. 104*F or more along with delirium, seizures or coma. This is a potential fatal condition
- Power outages and breakdowns are also common
- Developing countries are more affected because of:
- Poverty
- Inequality
- Lack of public infrastructure
- Poor sanitation
- Inability of public bodies to address the symptoms
Solution
- Examples of solutions
- Plan of Ahemdabad Municipal Corporation
- Disseminating public information about risks and mitigating measures, using social media,
- Establishing a warning system including what-to-do measures for governmental agencies,
- Training of health professionals to respond quickly and effectively,
- Adapting the city’s infrastructure to deal with extreme temperatures.
- Odisha also took few steps in this direction of awareness-raising campaign
- Declare Heat Wave as Disaster
- 2013: the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) requested the Prime Minister to include heat waves in the list of natural disasters.
- The task was assigned to Group of ministers who could not reach to any conclusion.
- Coordination of different government agencies needs improvement
- Better data collection
- Control following
- Unthoughthful and haphazard urbanisation
- Vehicular pollution
- Better housing facilities
- Keep afternoons free
- Work schedules, specially which involved physical labour need to be changed
Graphic Courtesy: The Indian Express, Mithun Chakarborty
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- In times of Climate Change the heat waves are expected to intensify and spread more.
- We need to give more importance to this issue and have sense of urgency.
- We will be denying our citizens the right to life also if we don't control it.
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