Scorching days, restless nights: Heatwave tightens grip across parts of India

📌 Summary:

• Blistering heat swept across several parts of India on May 23, pushing temperatures past 44°C in several regions; the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a heatwave alert for three Jharkhand districts for May 25

• Health response: hospitals in Punjab operationalised dedicated heat-stroke management units with active cooling (ice packs, cold IV fluids); Delhi-NCR hospitals reported a rise in heat-related ailments — dehydration headaches, eye irritation and heat-triggered neurological symptoms

• Human toll: Telangana reported 16 heat-related deaths across seven districts this summer; officials were directed to identify high-temperature villages and ensure drinking water, buttermilk and ORS at public places and worksites

• Impact on animals: veterinarians and rescuers in Delhi reported exhausted pigeons collapsing, dehydrated eagles, and street animals suffering toxicity amid the relentless heat

• Spatial spread: Chittorgarh (Rajasthan) was the hottest at 44.2°C; Rohtak 44.1°C, Hisar 42.4°C, Bathinda 43.8°C; the IMD warned temperatures across Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh would rise further from May 24

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 — disaster management and India's rising vulnerability to extreme-heat events; the role of the IMD in early warning; heat-action planning and public-health preparedness.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• The IMD declares a heatwave for the plains when the maximum temperature reaches at least 40°C, with a departure of 4.5-6.4°C above normal (or an actual maximum of 45°C+)

• Heatwaves are notified disasters in several Indian states though not under the national disaster list; Heat Action Plans guide local response

• ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) is a key first-line measure against heat-related dehydration

🔑 Key Term: Heatwave — a period of abnormally high temperatures, declared by the IMD based on threshold maximum temperatures and the departure from normal for a region.