Ajit Karn
Several regions of India are expected to experience warmer-than-usual temperatures through June, posing a threat to the power grid as people turn to air conditioners to beat the heat.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of the India Meteorological Department, stated on Saturday in New Delhi that the majority of the nation’s central, eastern, and northwestern states are likely to experience heat surges during the summer’s three-month season.
The impact of climate change on global temperatures and the frequency and severity of extreme weather events is increasing. After the subcontinent endured a severe heat wave in 2022, which caused widespread human distress and impacted global wheat supplies, there is a greater emphasis on India’s weather forecast this year.
Unseasonal rain in some Indian states in March damaged wheat, mustard, and onion crops and increased the likelihood of a price increase. While farmers pray for sunlight to dry the drenched crop, they remain wary of heat surges that could further diminish yields. Mohapatra reported that March rainfall was 26% above normal across the nation.
Preparations are being made for a temperature increase. As people turn on their air conditioners, fans, and refrigeration units, the power ministry predicts that peak electricity demand will set a new record in April. As domestic coal production may not be sufficient, the government has ordered power facilities to import coal, the country’s primary power-station fuel.
During the summer, diesel consumption increases due to the increased number of people who travel from the plains to the cooler highlands, and the increased use of diesel-powered standby generators to compensate for power outages. As the government has mandated the use of idle gas-fired power facilities to satisfy summer demand, gas consumption may also rise.
The majority of the country experienced below-average temperatures in March, according to the national weather service, which was aided by unseasonable rain. According to the weather service, rainfall was above average in the central, southern, eastern, and northeastern regions last month. The northwest region of the country received below-average precipitation, it was stated.
The weather office predicts that sections of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, and Chhattisgarh will experience longer-than-normal heat surges in April.
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Since 2015, the number of Indian states experiencing heat surges has more than doubled to 23 by 2020. The country defines a heat wave as an extended period of abnormally high temperatures, exceeding the season’s normal maximum temperature.
