heatwave – Page 3 – Central News Hub

Italy set a new European heat record

Earlier, the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe was 48.0°C (118°F) in Athens, Greece in 1977, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)…reports Asian Lite News.

Italian authorities on Wednesday (local time) said that the island of Sicily may have set an all-time heat record for Europe, with a temperature of 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

The record in Italy was confirmed by Sicilian authorities but needs to be officially verified by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), reported CNN.

“At the moment there are no reasons to invalidate it, but if possible we will make an ex-post evaluation on the accuracy of the measure,” said the Sicilian Agrometeorological Information Service, Sicily’s official weather station operator.

The city of Siracusa hit the record as an anticyclone — which Italian media reports are referring to as “Lucifer” — swept in and continued to move north up the country, reported CNN.

Moreover, a persistent heatwave around the Mediterranean in Europe and North Africa has contributed to some of the worst fires seen there in years.

Earlier, the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe was 48.0°C (118°F) in Athens, Greece in 1977, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

As per scientists, it’s the climate crisis that is making heatwaves and fires more frequent and intense, and therefore more destructive, reported CNN.

An authoritative report by the UN’s International Panel on Climate Change published Monday said that 38 weather conditions that promote wildfires have become more probable in southern Europe over the last century. Globally, the heat waves and droughts worsening fires have increased too.

Temperatures around the Mediterranean have been 5 to 10 degrees C higher than average this week and dozens of people have died in wildfires tearing across southern Europe and North Africa, most of them in Algeria, where at least 69 people have been killed.

Deaths have been recorded in Turkey as well, which is now also experiencing flooding on the Black Sea coast, leaving at least nine people dead. Parts of Italy and Greece have also been badly hit by fires, where some villages have been largely destroyed, reported CNN. (ANI)

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IMD says heatwave conditions won’t set in till May 18

There were seven western disturbances which moved across western Himalayan region in March against the normal of four WDs…reports Asian Lite News

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said an unusually high number of western disturbances in March, April and now in May has subdued the searing heat normally felt in April and May.

It said that similar conditions are likely to persist till around May 18, the Hindustan Times reported.

The IMD said it is not expecting heatwave conditions to set in till May 18. “There was no heatwave in May till now. We are not expecting heatwave conditions to set in till May 18. On May 10, 11 and 12, rain and thunderstorms are likely over northwest India under the influence of an intense western disturbance,” the HT quoted RK Jenamani, senior scientist, national weather forecasting centre, as saying.

There were seven western disturbances which moved across western Himalayan region in March against the normal of four WDs. Of these, three were very active, bringing rainfall, snowfall and thunderstorm to the region, it was reported.

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April saw nine WDs move across western Himalayan region against the normal of four to five WDs. Four of them were active and moved as cyclonic circulations, bringing rain and thunderstorms to the hills and plains. There were two WDs in May and another expected to impact the region from Tuesday.

In March, severe heatwave was recorded over west Rajasthan and heatwave conditions over east Rajasthan, Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. In April, however, the heatwave was occasional and for shorter periods over smaller pockets.

This is mainly because of wet spells over the western Himalayan region and adjoining plains of northwest India and central India on many days due to the movement of WDs. No heatwave was recorded in May, the report quoted IMD.

HT also quoted Jenamani as saying that with the likely arrival of monsoon over Kerala on June 1, further heatwave conditions are unlikely over Peninsular India.

The average maximum, minimum and mean temperature in April was 34.52 degree C, 22.33 degree C and 28.42 degree C, respectively, against the normal of 33.94 degree C, 22.15 degree C and 28.04 degree C based on the average for 1981-2010 period.

In March, the maximum, minimum and mean temperature was 32.65 degree C, 19.95 degree C and 26.30 degree C, respectively, against the normal of 31.24 degree C, 18.87 degree C and 25.06 degree C.

A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect western Himalayan region and plains of northwest India from May 11 onwards. Under the influence of this WD and its interaction with easterly winds and moisture feed from Arabian Sea, fairly widespread rainfall or thundershowers are very likely over western Himalayan region and isolated rainfall/thunderstorms is likely over plains of northwest India on May 11 and 12 with maximum intensity on May 12 and 13. Isolated heavy rainfall is also likely over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on May 12 and 13, according to the report.

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