The ongoing heatwave, which began on May 15, has now become the longest in the Ludhiana over the past decade.
A heatwave, defined as a weather pattern where the maximum temperature remains above 40 degrees Celsius for several days, was last prolonged in 2013, lasting from April 17 to April 31 with temperatures ranging between 40 and 46.2 degrees Celsius.
Shivender, a scientist at the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Chandigarh centre, explained that the extended heatwave is due to winds coming from the dry and hot regions of Rajasthan. Additionally, the absence of western disturbances in May has contributed to the prolonged period of high temperatures, which have surpassed 46 degrees Celsius on multiple occasions. The last instance of temperatures exceeding 46 degrees in May was in 2013.
Dr. Pavneet Kaur Kingra, Director of the Department of Agricultural Meteorology at Punjab Agricultural University, noted that last year’s heatwave was brief, occurring from May 20-23, with maximum temperatures reaching 43.2 degrees Celsius due to rainfall. Last year, the month saw 48 mm of precipitation, while this year, western disturbances brought rain in March and April.
According to IMD officials, while the weekly weather forecast predicts temperatures will remain above 40 degrees until June 5, light showers are expected in the coming days. “We are anticipating a change in weather by Saturday, and some places even recorded drizzling last evening,” said officials.
