INDIA: On a trial basis, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has begun publishing heat indexes for several nation regions. The heat index considers the air temperature and relative humidity, giving people a sense of the temperature. This is in addition to the day’s minimum and maximum temperatures. The heat index is mainly for the plains.
The IMD Director General, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, explained that the temperature and humidity data at 2:30 pm is used to calculate the heat index, as the maximum temperature occurs at that time. The weather office currently uses the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) algorithm to determine the heat index.
The heat index, which measures the comfort levels of weather Americans experience in particular regions, has not yet been validated for Indian conditions.
To validate the observations for Indian cities, the IMD will work with the health ministry. M Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, pointed out that 40 degrees Celsius temperature and 20% relative humidity could be okay for people in India but intolerable for those residing in the US. Therefore, it is essential to validate the heat index for Indian conditions.
The IMD’s heat index has a disclaimer stating, “not validated for India,” making it clear that it is an experimental forecast to educate people about the implications of heat on them. The index will be published daily in weather bulletins to increase public access to this information for preventative steps.
When the highest temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius and is 4.5 degrees higher than the average for the day, the weather office declares a heatwave. A severe heatwave is declared when the temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius and 6.5 degrees above average.
In conclusion, the IMD’s experimental heat index is a significant step towards providing people with a better understanding of the impact of heat. However, it needs to be validated for Indian conditions to ensure people can take the necessary precautions during hot weather.
Also Read: Expect Early Summers in a Number of States in India This Year: IMD
