Heat wave
spreads across India
New
Delhi: Rising mercury level leading to heat wave conditions is turning life
miserable for people in most regions of the country. In Nagpur, the maximum temperature
was recorded at 41 degree Celsius on Wednesday. People quenched their thirst with
sugarcane juice and butter milk or lassi made from curd and flavoured with salt
or fruit juice. The rising temperature has made difficult for residents to even
walk on the streets. "It is so hot in the morning that it looks like afternoon.
The sun is so hot that it makes difficult for people to even walk on the streets.
The heat is so unbearable that we don't even feel like eating anything," said
Dhanraj Jain, a resident. The situation was similar in Raipur. The Meteorological
Department reported that the temperature would continue to rise. "According to
the present situation, we feel that the temperature will continue to rise in the
next 48 hours. We have already issued a warning that the temperature might be
around 45 degree Centigrade," said ML Sahu, Director of Raipur-based metrological
centre. Usually the months of May-June are considered to be the hottest in the
country, but the temperature has touched a high of 40 degrees Celsius in the April
itself.
Heat wave grips Orissa
Bhubaneswar:
Soaring mercury level has made life miserable for people in Orissa as they
grapple with the heat wave. The temperature hovered around 40 degree Celsius in
the state, with some parts like the western region of the state recording a temperature
of 43 to 44 degree Celsius. State's Meteorological Department predicts that the
heat wave will prevail across the state over next 24-hours due to the north-westerly
wind blowing from Rajasthan. According to reports, around 24 people have lost
their lives due to the scorching heat. "Unofficially, we have received 24 deaths,
but we sought confirmation from the collectors. We have received only one death
so far," said G. V. G. Sharma, Revenue Secretary of Orissa. Sharma further said
that State authorities have also alerted the health department, district officials
and disaster management authorities. Since, children were badly hurt by the rising
mercury, parents felt that the timing for the educational session should be changed.
"The problem is that day by day the heat is increasing in Orissa. So I think the
session should end in December during winters. That may help the children psychologically
and physically," said Binapani, a resident.
Heat
wave in Kolkata
Kolkata:
Soaring mercury levels made life miserable for people in Kolkata as they grapple
with the heat wave. The scorching heat has made life miserable for those who have
no option but to work in the sun. "I have never experienced this abnormal temperature
of 41 degrees especially in middle of April. There is no possibility of rain for
at least for the next few days. So it has become unbearable, but still we have
to come out. We can't avoid it," said J. Chowdhury, a resident. In order to beat
the heat, the residents are opting for lemonades and soft drinks, which are having
a brisk sale in Kolkata. "I used to sell the drinks worth rupees 3000 and rupees
4000 daily, but due to this heat the sale of the soft drinks has increased. The
sale has reached between rupees 5000 and rupees 6000," said Radhe Shyam Kumar,
a shop owner. According to the weather officials, the weather would continue to
warm for at least next two days in West Bengal . "No respite will be there for
the next 48 hours for West Bengal particularly. The main reason for this discomfort
or high temperature is due to the lack of sufficient moisture in the atmosphere.
The moisture that is generally available in the atmosphere has been driven away
by the recent cyclone 'Bijli' from our state," said G.C. Debnath, Director, Regional
Meteorological Centre, Alipore. The mercury has risen to 41 degree Celsius on
Tuesday, which is supposed to be the highest temperature in April during the last
ten years in Kolkata.
-April 22, 2009
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