Andhra Pradesh is witnessing a rising heatwave trend, and coordinated, concerted action is needed to tackle this problem, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra.
Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of a seminar on climate change and extreme weather organised by the Department of Meteorology and Oceanography of Andhra University on Thursday, Mr. Mohapatra said they were able to gauge the trends of heatwaves and cold waves across the country based on analysis of meteorological observatory data taken between 1961 and 2021.
“According to data analysis till 2021, there is an increasing heatwave trend in Andhra Pradesh. Stakeholders including the government and public should adopt strategies and work together to control heatwaves,” Mr. Mohapatra suggested.
Some mitigation measures include sealed buildings, green infrastructure, water and energy conservation, increasing dependence on renewable energy, using sustainable transportation, cutting down on the use of fossil fuels and capturing and using landfill and digester gas.
Cold waves are also increasing significantly over the Rayalaseema region and over the North Coastal Andhra Pradesh region as well, he said.
“IMD is continuously strengthening and upgrading its early warning systems with an aim to reduce losses. The collaboration with AU’s Meteorology and Oceanography Department is also part of strengthening our network by getting new ideas and innovative solutions from students and research scholars,” he said.
“IMD is also adopting artificial intelligence and machine learning in future weather forecasting systems. Numerical weather forecasting models will be integrated with artificial intelligence to provide dual-engine forecasting services,” Mr. Mohapatra concluded.
