This March Was The Warmest In 122 Years
Apr 2, 2022 | Pratirodh Bureau
FILE PHOTO: Visitors carry umbrellas to avoid the scorching heat at the Taj Mahal in Agra (Image: PTI)
Last month was the hottest March in India in 122 years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said. The all-time average maximum temperature surpassed the record of March 2010, when the average monthly day temperature was recorded at 33.09 degree Celsius in comparison to 33.1 degree Celsius in March 2022.
The maximum temperature was above normal by 4.5 degrees over most parts of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, and Rajasthan. According to IMD officials, lack of rain in March in north India has led to such intense heat. Normally, Delhi would receive 15.9 mm of rainfall in March on an average. Meanwhile, the IMD has warned of heatwave conditions in north India in April.
A heatwave is declared if the departure from the normal temperature is 4.5-6.4 degrees when the maximum reaches at least 40 degrees in the plains or 37 in coastal weather stations. A few other criteria can also lead to its declaration. The air temperature becomes fatal to the human body when exposed to a heatwave, according to the India Meteorological Department.