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Himachal Sees Earliest Heat Wave Ever!
14 Mar
Summary
- Himachal Pradesh experienced its earliest heat wave on March 6, breaking a 5-year record.
- Temperatures soared 2 to 8 degrees Celsius above normal in early March.
- Environmentalists warn of accelerated glacier melt and increased fire risks.
Himachal Pradesh is grappling with an unusually early heat wave, with the Meteorological Centre, Shimla, recording the phenomenon on March 6, the earliest in at least five years. Maximum temperatures consistently exceeded normal levels by 2 to 8 degrees Celsius during the first fortnight of March. Una recorded a high of 35 degrees Celsius on March 9, a monthly record so far.
Unprecedented rises were also noted in minimum temperatures across the state. The weather department issued yellow alerts for heat wave to severe heat wave conditions on seven days in the first half of March. This early warming is attributed to anti-cyclonic circulation and warm wind inflow from Pakistan, coupled with a lack of Western Disturbance activity.
Environmentalists view this early warming as a sign of climate change, warning of adverse impacts on agriculture, horticulture, accelerated glacier melt, and a prolonged forest fire season. While officials suggest it's too early to confirm climate change as the sole cause without a decade-long pattern, the early onset is raising significant concerns.
