Meteorological Department issues severe heat wave warning in West Bengal

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of severe heat wave in some districts of south Bengal with the day temperature crossing the 45 degrees Celsius mark at Panagarh in West Burdwan earlier this week.
On Wednesday, severe heat wave conditions were reported from Diamond Harbour and Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas, Haldia in East Midnapore and Panagarh. South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore are coastal districts.
The highest temperature during the day was recorded at Panagarh. It was 42.7 degrees Celsius, which was 6.6 degrees above normal.
Several other stations such as Malda, Balurghat, Kolkata, Uluberia, Midnapore, Canning, Magra, Kalaikunda, Burdwan, Barrackpore and Suri experienced heat waves.
IMD experts said that mainly dry winds from west and north-west India at lower level will continue to blow over the region. Heat wave conditions are likely to prevail over the districts till around April 28.
“Severe heat wave conditions may hit one or two places in the districts of East Midnapore, West Midnapore, West Burdwan, Jhargram, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Bankura till around Sunday. Heat wave conditions is expected to prevail over the other districts,” said an expert.
IMD declares it a heat wave when the day temperature touches 40 degrees Celsius and it is at least 4.5 degrees above the climatic normal. Severe heat wave occurs when the temperature is at least 6.4 degrees above normal or has shot up above the 47 degrees Celsius mark.
Several districts in the southern part of the state have been reeling under heat wave conditions since last week.
On April 21, the day temperature in Bankura touched 44.5 degrees Celsius and on April 20 Panagarh witnessed the maximum temperature hovering above 45 degrees Celsius, which was more than eight degrees above the normal.
Heatwave conditions forced the West Bengal government last week to declare an early summer break for State-run schools from April 22. The break was scheduled to begin on May 5.