Govt urges power restraint as IMD warns of severe heatwave across India

New Delhi: The government has urged citizens to use electricity with restraint after the weather bureau forecast severe heatwave conditions across large parts of the country over the next week, which is expected drive up power demand and strain the grid. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said that northwest, central, eastern and parts of peninsular India are expected to remain under intense heatwave to severe heatwave conditions over the next six to seven days. Also Read | Strong Q4 rural recovery runs into rising cost and monsoon risks Further, as the soaring temperatures have led to record power demand across the country, the Union power ministry has advised citizens to use electricity "judiciously". India's peak power demand on Friday was 267.5GW. It hit fresh highs in the past four days with a new record of 270.8GW reached on Thursday. In a tweet on Friday, the power ministry said: "Although we are prepared to supply electricity as required, due to the intense summer, let us all try to used electricity wisely and judiciously." Power demand has surged as people increasingly rely on cooling appliances such as air-conditioners and air-coolers amid scorching heat across several parts of the country. The highest temperature so far this summer has been 48.2 degree Celcius recorded in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, on 19 May. According to the latest weather assessment by IMD, maximum temperatures across several regions have already climbed into the 40-47°C range on Thursday, with Banda in Uttar Pradesh recording 47.6°C. The IMD warned that severe heatwave conditions are likely to persist across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Vidarbha through most of the coming week. East Uttar Pradesh and East Madhya Pradesh are expected to face severe heatwave conditions between 23 and 28 May, while Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi may witness the most intense spell between 24 and 27 May. The weather office said warm night conditions are likely to worsen discomfort levels in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana and Vidarbha, limiting overnight cooling and increasing health risks for vulnerable populations. Also Read | IMD to use AI to give farmers 10-day warning before monsoon hits West Rajasthan is also likely to experience severe heatwave conditions from 24 to 28 May. Vidarbha and coastal Andhra Pradesh are expected to remain under severe heat stress until at least 26 May. Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon has begun advancing gradually. Conditions are favourable for further progress into parts of the southeast Arabian Sea, Comorin region, Bay of Bengal and the remaining areas of the Andaman Sea over the next two to three days. Even as northern and central India reel under scorching temperatures, heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast in parts of Kerala, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and the northeastern states during several days of the coming week. The IMD also projected hot and humid conditions over Gangetic West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, adding to weather-related discomfort in eastern and southern regions. The power demand in the country is estimated to hit 271 GW this year, according the Central Electricity Authority. Also Read | NBFCs may feel the heat of a weak monsoon first Amid projections of high power demand and likely shift of some industries from gas-based furnaces to electric furnaces due to the West Asia war, the power ministry has already deferred maintenance programmes for about 10 GW capacity of thermal power plants this summer to ensure uninterrupted power supply. Further, another likely addition to the power demand basket this year is induction cookstoves. With more people switching to induction cookstoves due to the LPG shortage, India’s peak power demand is expected to surge by as much as 27 GW.