IMD says heatwave may subside over Delhi, northwest India from Monday: Key points

NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the heatwave may subside over Delhi and adjoining parts of northwest India from Monday. It has predicted a fall in maximum temperatures by 3-4 degrees Celsius.
Isolated parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, south Uttar Pradesh, Kutch and East Rajasthan will experience a decrease in the temperature from today, whereas Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and West Rajasthan will experience heatwave conditions for another 24 hours.It will subside from Tuesday, the IMD had said on Sunday.
The national weather forecasting agency also predicted thunderstorm activity over northwest and east India till Wednesday and over northeast India till Tuesday. Isolated places over Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh, east Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh will experience partly cloudy sky with the possibility of thunder development from Monday.

India's power consumption grows 13.6% in April
Power consumption in the country grew 13.6 per cent year-on-year to 132.98 billion units (BU) in April, showing the impact of the early onset of summers and spurt in economic activities, according to power ministry data. Power consumption in April last year was recorded at 117.08 BU, which was higher than 84.55 BU in the same month of 2020.
Experts are of the view that power consumption and demand rose unprecedentedly mainly because of the early onset of summers and showed that greater economic activities are pushing commercial and industrial requirements of electricity in the country.
Experts opined that the power demand and consumption would show robust growth in the coming months as the states have lifted almost all local Covid restrictions after a decline in the positivity rate. Power consumption would surge in the coming months, they said.
High-level meeting held
A meeting is being underway in Delhi at the residence of Union home minister Amit Shah on the issue of power crisis. Power minister RK Singh, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and coal minister Pralhad Joshi are attending the meeting, as per ANI reports.
25 heat stroke deaths in Maharashtra, most in 6 years
Heat stroke has claimed 25 lives in Maharashtra this year, the highest in six years. Data from the health department showed over 374 cases of heat stroke have been reported in March and April, although experts say the actual number could be much higher.

Districts in north and central Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha have been reeling under temperatures ranging over 40-46 degrees. The highest number of deaths due to heat stroke has been recorded in Vidarbha (15), followed by six in Marathwada and four in Jalgaon from north Maharashtra.

Delhi simmers, but respite is in the wind
After three days of consistent severe heatwaves, Delhi received some much-needed respite on Sunday as the mercury dropped by three degrees Celsius. However, heatwave conditions were recorded in some isolated areas.
The weather department forecasts the respite to continue for next six days. The maximum temperature in Delhi is predicted to be 39 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature is predicted to be 30 degrees celsius on Monday.
The national capital recorded the second-hottest April in the last 27 years with the temperature remaining above 40 degrees in the past week.
Scientists call for heat action plan after IPCC alert on Kolkata
The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report underlined Kolkata’s vulnerability to extreme heatwaves, with the city remaining on the periphery of India’s extreme heatwave atlas. Climate scientists urged the state to have its Heat Action Plan (HAP) ready to reduce heat-related deaths and address underlying conditions of vulnerability across spatial segregation of the urban poor.
The IPCC report said that on average Kolkata will experience heat equivalent to the 2015 record heatwaves every year. In 2015, heatwaves killed 2,500 people in India. Kolkata along with Delhi runs a high drought risk, the report said.
Since March 1, Kolkata did not receive rainfall till April 29 when there was a light drizzle for a couple of minutes. On Saturday, April 30, the city experienced the first thundershowers.
Maximum temperature in MP recorded at 45°C
The maximum temperature in Madhya Pradesh's Khajuraho, Sidhi and Gwalior was recorded at 45 degrees over the last 24 hours. There's a forecast of scattered thunderstorms in next 24 hours in Gwalior, Vidisha, Damoh and Raisen. Partly cloudy sky and light drizzle is expected in Bhopal, said meteorologist Narendra Kumar.
After five record crops, heatwave threatens India's wheat output, export plans
India's wheat output looks likely to fall in 2022 after five consecutive years of record harvests, as a sharp, sudden rise in temperatures in mid-March cut crop yields in the world's second-biggest producer of the grain.
The drop could curb Indian exports of the staple. Cashing in on a rally in global wheat prices after Russia invaded Ukraine, India exported a record 7.85 million tonnes in the fiscal year to March - up 275% from the previous year.
Expecting another record crop, traders and government officials saw an opportunity to export 12 million tonnes in the current 2022-23 fiscal year.
(With inputs from agencies)