The Aryavarth ExpressAgency(New Delhi):
As India proceeds with the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections this Friday, voters in several states will face daunting heatwave conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red warning for West Bengal and Odisha, indicating severe heatwave conditions, and an orange alert for Bihar and parts of Karnataka over the next five days.
Voters in 88 constituencies across 13 states and union territories, including Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, will cast their ballots under potentially oppressive temperatures. The IMD has forecasted that high humidity will exacerbate the discomfort in states like Tripura, Kerala, and coastal Karnataka.
Temporary relief might come from high-velocity winds, light rains, and thunderstorms predicted for parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh on election day. However, the ongoing heatwave, which began in mid-April, continues to affect large parts of India, with Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal experiencing prolonged high temperatures.
This climatic condition aligns with the weakening El Niño effect, which typically results in hotter, drier conditions in India. The IMD has forecasted an unusual number of heatwave days during this April to June period, coinciding with the election schedule.
Such extreme weather not only makes voting physically challenging but could also strain local resources like power and water supplies. Looking ahead, the IMD anticipates a shift towards La Niña conditions later in the year, which should bring more generous monsoon rains critical for India’s agriculture and water reservoirs.