New Delhi:
As the campaign heats up for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, the weather department has forecast heatwave to severe heatwave conditions for several states in the next five days.
High temperatures have raised concerns as poll campaigns draw thousands of people under the blazing sun.
Indian voters will have to face sweltering conditions to participate in the third phase of elections as heatwaves are likely to prevail in many states where voting will take place on May 7, especially in West Bengal, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. .
The election commission has urged parties and authorities to do more to keep voters, candidates and polling station staff safe.
People should be extremely careful during such situations, authorities say. There is a chance that people will suffer from sunburn and heatstroke, the weather bureau said.
The temperature in several areas of Maharashtra crossed 40 degrees Celsius yesterday with Solaur being the hottest at 43.7 degrees Celsius.
The scorching heat wave gripping Odisha and West Bengal has disrupted daily life, with temperatures rising to alarming levels
The IMD has also issued a heat wave warning in Kollam, Thrissur and Palakkad in Kerala. Heatwave conditions would prevail at many places in these districts today, the IMD said.
Experts fear that rising temperatures could impact turnout in the third phase of polls.
According to National Disaster Management Authority guidelines, people should wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and cover their heads with a cap or cloth. They should keep themselves covered and not expose too much of the body to the heat.
“Make sure you always have enough fluids and water with you, and keep an eye on the daily weather forecasts and advisories from the Indian Meteorological Department,” said Dr Naresh Kumar, senior scientist at the Indian Meteorological Department.
The threshold for a heat wave is met when the maximum temperature at a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas and 30 degrees in the hilly areas, and the deviation from normal is at least 4.5 degrees. notches.