Delhi records 52.9°C, Nagpur sizzles at 56°C; IMD issues heat warning
PTC News Desk: Unusually high temperatures—above 50 degrees Celsius—were reported by two of the four automatic weather stations (AWS) that IMD installed in Nagpur. These readings were higher than those that Mungeshwar AWS in North-West Delhi recorded on Wednesday.
The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Mungeshpur hamlet, which doubles as an automatic weather station (AWS), is where the temperature was measured.
The country was shocked when the Delhi station recorded a record-breaking 52.9 degrees Celsius; nevertheless, the Mungeshwar data is being investigated by the IMD’s AWS/ARG (automated raingauge) networks.
The Nagpur AWS reported a scorching 56 degrees Celsius in the center of the PDKV’s 24-hectare open agriculture area at Ramdaspeth, off North Ambazari Road. 54 degrees Celsius was also recorded by the AWS at the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Sonegaon. 44 degrees Celsius were displayed by the AWS in the Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) farms near Khapri, off Wardha Road. The temperature on the Ramtek AWS was 44°C.
After the heat wave in Delhi, which is thought to be the greatest temperature ever recorded in India, the AWS/ARG networks are making headlines once more. Officials from the regional meteorological department advised against using the AWS data on days with extreme heat because the sensors begin to fail at temperatures higher than 38 degrees Celsius.
AWS sensors aren’t working properly. The recordings lose their credibility beyond a particular temperature threshold. For temperatures below 38–40 degrees, they function perfectly. The scientific term for this is positive bias. The expansion of necessary components must follow a linear path. However, under high temperatures, the process loses its linearity, according to a top RMC forecasting expert.
A recent study conducted by the climatology lab at VNIT found that the maximum temperature fluctuates throughout the city and that measurements are mostly influenced by the environment, including open spaces with greenery, open areas devoid of plantations, and densely inhabited areas. The study made clear that Nagpur has distinct climate zones, with considerable temperature variations found in each.
On Thursday, TOI went to the PDKV AWS, which is located between Vanamati and Maharabagh Zoo. Compared to the area next to Maharajbagh Road’s greenery, the temperature on the open field appeared to be higher. With no surrounding vegetation, the AWS sensors were fully exposed to the intense sun.
The AWS sensors are imported from European nations, according to a senior RMC officer.According to ML Sahu, deputy director of RMC, scientists manually create the daily weather updates that are made available to the public. It is thought that the manual data is more trustworthy.
The temperature is taken every day using four mercury-based thermometers. For measuring current temperature, a dry mercury bulb is used; for measuring humidity, a wet bulb is used. According to Sahu, the temperature zone is sealed off and only air flows through it.
The codes are deciphered and uploaded in real time on the AWS/ARG Networks interface at the Pune data center after the AWS data is transferred there.