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2024 Indian heat wave
Natural disaster From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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From April 2024 to June 2024,[1][2] a severe and long heat wave affected India.[3] The heat wave occurred during the Indian dry season, which typically lasts from March to July, with peak temperatures in April and May. The year marked the third consecutive year of extreme heat waves in the country, a trend partly attributed to climate change.[1][2].
Churu district in Rajasthan recorded a temperature of 50.5 °C (122.9 °F), the highest in India in eight years.[4]. A temperature of 52.9°C was recorded in Mungeshpur, Delhi, and was initially thought to be record-breaking. However, it was later found to be approximately 3°C too high due to a faulty sensor.[5][6]
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Casualties
As of 3rd June 2024, there were a total of 219 deaths reported from the heat wave,[7] and 25,000 others suffered from heatstroke.[8] The deaths include 33 workers who were stationed on election duty during the seventh and last phase of the 2024 Indian general elections.[9] There were 147 reported deaths in the state of Odisha, and 12 more in Rajasthan.[7]
In Rajasthan, temperatures reached 50 °C (122 °F) in Churu, Sirsa and Phalodi, while Delhi's Mungeshpur, Narela and Najafgarh also neared 50 °C on 28 May.[10][11] There were more than twice as many heatwave days recorded in northwestern and eastern parts of the country than usual, mainly due to fewer non-monsoon thundershowers and warm winds blowing from neighbouring arid regions into India.[8] IMD data showed that Delhi recorded its warmest night ever at a minimum temperature of 35.2 °C (95.36 °F).[12]
Indian authorities reported over 40,000 cases of heatstroke through the country during the heat wave.[13]
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Impact
Due to the intense heat increasing water consumption and lowering river levels, New Delhi suffered a water crisis, requiring water tankers to be driven into distribution points in order to provide hydration to citizens whose taps ran dry.[14]
The intense, prolonged increase in temperature caused many manufacturing companies to lower working hours during the month of May, contributing to a national three-month low in the rate of increase in new orders.[15] Due to increased usage of electricity for cooling, the All India Power Engineers Federation warned of potential blackouts and loss of power on 18 June 2024.[16]
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References
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