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India is "most likely" undercounting heat-related deaths due to a lack of robust data, but the government is now improving surveillance to minimise the impact of extreme conditions on health, former WHO chief scientist and health ministry advisor Soumya Swaminathan has said. In an interview with PTI on the sidelines of TERI's World Sustainable Development Summit, she also stressed the urgent need for better tracking, preparedness and policy interventions as the country braces for another extreme summer. Asked if India was undercounting heat-related deaths, the former director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said, "Most likely. We do not really have a good record of every death in the country and so we have to make some estimations. We have to do some sort of calculations or modelling based on what is happening." But recently, there have been several scientific papers that have actually tracked what are called excess deaths, Swaminathan said. "When you look
Delhi Power Minister Ashish Sood on Sunday directed officials to implement the summer action plan in the national capital with immediate effect. During a meeting with senior power department officials at the Delhi Secretariat, the minister emphasised the urgent need to enforce the plan to ensure uninterrupted power supply ahead of summer, according to a statement. The power department and all stakeholders were instructed to take immediate and effective measures to maintain stable electricity supply. Sood highlighted that ensuring reliable power supply for all residents was a key priority for the government. He outlined a vision to develop a model colony with organised overhead power cables, eliminating hanging wires. Discussions were also held on removing unauthorised cables from electricity poles to reduce excessive load and prevent entanglement. The minister also directed the officials to ensure repairs were completed within a maximum five minutes to minimise disruptions in the
Summer 2024 sweltered to Earth's hottest on record, making it even more likely that this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, European climate service Copernicus reported Friday. And if this sounds familiar, that's because the records the globe shattered were set just last year as human-caused climate change, with a temporary boost from an El Nino, keeps dialling up temperatures and extreme weather, scientists said. The northern meteorological summer June, July and August averaged 16.8 degrees Celsius (62.24 degrees Fahrenheit), according to Copernicus. That's 0.03 degrees Celsius (0.05 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the old record in 2023. Copernicus records go back to 1940, but American, British and Japanese records, which start in the mid-19th century, show the last decade has been the hottest since regular measurements were taken and likely in about 120,000 years, according to some scientists. The Augusts of both 2024 and 2023 tied for the hottest Augusts ..
An unusually cold weather system from the Gulf of Alaska interrupted summer along the West Coast on Saturday, bringing snow to Washington state's Mount Rainier and a national park in Northern California, causing authorities to close part of a highway that runs through the park. Parts of Highway 89 through Lassen Volcanic National Park in California were closed Saturday after an estimated three inches of snow fell overnight, according to the National Weather Service. Photos posted by the National Weather Service and local authorities showed a white-covered peak from Rainier and a dusting of snow at Minaret Vista, a lookout point southeast of Yosemite National Park in California's Sierra Nevada. Madera County Deputy Sheriff Larry Rich said it was definitely unexpected to see snow at Minaret Vista in August. It's not every day you get to spend your birthday surrounded by a winter wonderland in the middle of summer, he said in a statement. It made for a day I won't soon forget, and a ..
Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Friday accused the Haryana government of reducing water flow to the national capital in the last three days. Her remarks come a day after the Supreme Court directed the Himachal Pradesh government to release 137 cusecs of surplus water to the national capital, and asked Haryana to facilitate its flow. The apex court also said there should be no politics over water. Delhi has been grappling with water crisis this summer. "....Hon'ble Supreme Court is trying to resolve Delhi's water crisis, but Haryana is conspiring against the people of Delhi.While the case was being heard in Supreme Court, Haryana has been steadily reducing the water being released to Delhi in the last 3 days...." Atishi said on X. The minister will visit the Wazirabad barrage at 11 am to assess the water situation.
Amid intense heatwave conditions in the state, the Bihar government on Wednesday ordered the closure of all private and government-run schools, coaching institutes and anganwadi centres until June 8. Chief Secretary Brajesh Mehrotra issued a directive to district magistrates to ensure the closure of these educational institutions, including 'anganwadi' centres, following Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's instructions. The decision came in response to reports of several students fainting due to extreme heatwave conditions. With temperatures soaring above 44 degrees Celsius in various parts of the state, Mehrotra convened a high-level meeting to assess the readiness of departments concerned in addressing the heatwave crisis. Incidents of students fainting were reported from Sheikhpura, Begusarai, East Champaran, and other regions due to the scorching heat. Reacting to these incidents, RJD leader and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav urged the government to take immediate ...
Heatwave has triggered a severe water and power crisis in several areas of the Jammu division, prompting authorities to set up control rooms and appoint nodal officers in each district to cater to public complaints. On Monday, authorities announced a four-hour load-shedding in urban areas and an eight-hour cut in rural areas on a daily basis. Over the past week, several places, particularly Jammu city, have faced major water and power shortages, leading to public protests, and the stopping of a Vande Bharat train at a railway station. In view of the mounting distress, Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar has directed deputy commissioners to establish control rooms and appoint nodal officers in each district to handle complaints related to power and water supply. Kumar, who chaired a meeting to deal with the issue, emphasised the need to maintain a buffer stock of transformers and water tankers in each district to meet the public demand. He urged officials to augment water and pow
Large parts of India sweltered under a heat wave for the seventh day on the trot on Thursday, with the mercury soaring to 48.8 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan's Barmer, the highest temperature recorded in the country this year so far. Official data showed that at least 16 places in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh recorded maximum temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius or above on Thursday. The brutal heat wave will continue for at least five more days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. In Rajasthan, Churu logged a high of 47.4 degrees Celsius, Phalodi 47.8 degrees, and Jaisalmer 47.2 degrees. Maximum temperatures settled at 46.6 degrees in Madhya Pradesh's Guna, 45.9 degrees in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, 45 degrees in Uttar Pradesh's Orai, 45.4 degrees each in Punjab's Bathinda and Haryana's Sirsa. However, in Delhi, the maximum temperature dipped slightly on Thursday but remained around a notch above the normal for this time of the year. Th
The national capital on Saturday morning recorded a minimum temperature of 27.1 degrees Celsius, 0.6 notch above the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). On Friday, Delhi witnessed 47.4 degrees Celsius in Najafgarh, making it the hottest place in the country. The weather department has predicted partly cloudy sky, heatwave and strong surface wind during the day. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 44 degrees Celsius. Heatwave conditions occur when the maximum temperature is 4.5 degrees or more above the normal temperature, reaching at least 45 degrees Celsius, according to the Met department. The humidity level was 39 per cent at 8.30 am. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded in the 'poor' category with a reading of 248 at 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401