(THE GIST OF PIB) Heat Index

(July-2023)

Recently, the Union Minister of Earth Sciences informed that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has launched the Heat Index on experimental basis.

It provides information about the impact of humidity on the high temperatures and thus provides a feel like temperature for human beings which can be used as an indication for human discomfort.
It provides guidance towards additional care to be taken by people to reduce discomfort.
Colour codes used for Experimental Heat Index are as follows:
Green: Experimental heat Index less than 35° C
Yellow: Experimental heat Index in the range 36-45° C
Orange: Experimental heat Index in the range 46-55°C
Red: Experimental heat Index greater than 55 °C
The Heat Index is implemented on experimental basis only across the entire country including the State of Andhra Pradesh.
At present, heat index is derived using the heat index equation similar to what is used by National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA.

It is the main agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology in India.
It operates hundreds of observation stations across India and Antarctica.
Regional offices are in Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Nagpur, Guwahati and New Delhi.
It has the responsibility for forecasting, naming and distributing warnings for tropical cyclones in the Northern Indian Ocean region, including the Malacca Straits, the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf.
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences.