Skip to main content

Is India ready to handle Heat Wave 2023?

Last year, people in India suffered devastating #heatwaves between March and April (#summer), with five times increased #heatwave days and an 8°C higher temperature than the average #temperature between March and April.

Further, in the last few months of this year, due to the lack of #winterstorm in the #mediterranean, there may be possibilities that Western Disturbance (WD) shall be ineffective in disorganising the recently growing #warm regions. The WD is a tropical cyclone that originated in the #mediterraneansea and moves towards #india up to south-eastern #nepal and northern #bangladesh. The high-pressure system displayed over regions like #russia, #ukraine, and neighboring countries causes cold air influx from the Polar Regions towards an area of relatively warmer air with significant moisture. Consequently, an extratropical depression that moves eastward is formed in the Mediterranean Sea, resulting in the pressure change from cold to warm air. This creates ideal circumstances for cyclogenesis in the upper layer of the #atmosphere. These eventually move towards the Indian subcontinent after progressively crossing the #middleeast from #iran, #afghanistan, and #pakistan. The WD brings sudden winter or pre-monsoon rain to the northern portions of the Indian subcontinent.

No alt text provided for this image

Source: Western Disturbance - Effects & Benefits for India.

Further, in the last three years La Niña has been dominated, so this year the return of El Niño is expected.

With persistent warming of the sea surface in the equatorial #pacific region, #elnino impacts India by causing reduced cloud cover and below-normal rains, often leading to drought and severe heat waves, followed by a disrupted monsoon season. During the strong 2016 El Niño, the summer temperature reached up to 51°C in India, the highest temperature ever recorded.

No alt text provided for this image
Source: EnvrioChem Services (OPC) Pvt. Ltd.

Due to these heat waves, the spring #crop season shortens, consequently decreasing the spring #cropyield. The reduced spring crop yield shall increase the profit margin for the distributors but will decrease the farmer's income. This will lead to the employment of fewer people in the fields. During the heat waves, #labor income and productivity are the worst impacted. Moreover, considering India is one of the world's biggest producers of #wheat, this year's heat wave shall also put additional pressure on the #globalfood market.

However, this #2023year we still do not know the severity and magnitude of heat waves in India, but the warning signs are here.

Labels:
Location: Surat, Gujarat, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

After Heat Wave - Still No Sustainability

After Heat Wave - Still No Sustainability After recent significant heat waves and their consequent outcomes in the weather trends, there is still a need for the adoption of sustainable measures. This post will focus on the effects of human activities on the energy cycle of the earth. The most immediate fix is the best option but for the short term only. Now, the time has come to achieve the long-term goals by imposing stringent policies. Source: University of Bristol Recent studies estimate that the world will add about 1 billion Air Conditioners (ACs) by the end of 2030, and projected to nearly double before 2040. This expansion of AC coverage threatens to worsen the crisis it's responding to, as most ACs still use refrigerants like Hydro Fluoro Carbons (HFCs), which can have 1,000 times the warming potency of Carbon Dioxide (CO2). Further, various studies estimate that if the world fails to lower, the dependence on HFCs could result in half a degree Celsius of warming by the end
Post a Comment
Read more

Climate Change Feedback Loop

During the discussion of Terraforming Mars, the "climate change feedback loop" came into the picture. In simple words, the climate change feedback loops are cyclical contraption chain reactions, where one change triggers further changes, and the complete process keeps repeating itself. There are two types of feedback loops, positive and negative. The negative feedback loops tend to dampen or reduce the changes. The system tends to hold some equilibrium state, making it more stable. However, the positive feedback loops enhance or amplify changes. The system tends to move away from its equilibrium state, making it more unstable. The point of concern is that some scientists believe that the carbonation of soil and sea, along with the photosynthesis done by plants and trees, is part of a negative feedback loop. However, in the long run, the same becomes a part of a positive feedback loop. Global warming melting polar ice caps leads to disturbance of ocean currents by salinity dif
Post a Comment
Read more