NEW DELHI, June 19: A Delhi-Bagdogra Indigo flight was delayed by four hours
on Monday due technical problems caused by heatwave at the Delhi airport. The
aircraft returned to the terminal after being on the tarmac of the airport for
over two hours. The passengers were on board.
With "high ground temperatures," hovering over 45°C, seven notches higher than
normal in the national Capital, flight 6E 2521, scheduled to depart at 2:10
pm, eventually took off at 6:15 pm. The Airbus A320neo was parked on the tarmac
when it experienced the technical snag.
It is reported that one passenger faced health problems due to lack of sufficient
oxygen inside. Passengers complained that the airconditioning was not working.
"IndiGO flight 6E 2521 between Delhi and Bagdogra was delayed due to high ground
temperatures impeding operations. IndiGo prioritises passenger safety above
all else and is taking steps to enable a prompt departure. Passengers are being
provided with regular updates and we regret the inconvenience caused due to
factors beyond the airline's control," said an IndiGo spokesperson.
Delhi and other parts of northern India are facing unprecedented, unbearable
and prolonged scorching heat for over a month continuously. Hundreds of people,
including 25 officials engaged in the recent general elections, have died of
heat stroke during the period. However, deaths used to be in thousands earlier
in much lower temperatures because the people's awareness about sun stroke,
also called heat stroke, and their preparedness was far low.
Since May 12, temperature in the Capital has been consistently above 40 deg
C (104 Fahrenheit), mostly hovering around 45 deg C, and crossing 50 deg C mark
once.
The current heatwave is unprecedented and more fatal not only because of the
reigning mercury, but also because of the spell prolonging without break and
at the same time the night being hotter giving no relief with the result that
the following day will experience an add-on effect definitely causing what is
called heat stress even without exposure to direct sunlight. Earlier, severe
heatwaves used to occur only a few times during May-June lasting two-three days
each time with nights also getting hot.
And this is the longest heatwave spell in more than half a century, the Met
precisely marking the year as 1951.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted above-normal temperatures
for June in northwestern and central India, including Delhi.
Meanwhile, boarding and check-in services at the Delhi airport were also affected
due to a power outage caused by voltage fluctuations. It briefly affected all
IGI terminals. The disruption was from 2 pm to 3 pm.
Car goes up in flames
Not only air travel, road traffic has also been affected. In one instance,
a car driver scorched his hands while gripping the wheel to start his vehicle
parked in the sun for long.
In another incident, a running Renault Kiger car went up in flames in Noida
in Delhi-NCR Monday afternoon. An alert driver saved his life as he quickly
pulled over and jumped out as soon as he noticed smoke billowing out of the
AC blower.
Amidst the heatwave, three dozen scrapped cars were gutted in a fire in an
abandoned plot in Noida on June 2 afternoon.
Fire incidents at houses, hospitals etc have been more frequent and devastating
in north-central India in the current summer leading to high casualties.
What causes heat stroke/sun stroke: When the relative humidity is
low or nil, but the air temperature is high, and there is direct exposure to
sunlight or do physical activities, the result is exhaustion and sun stroke
due to dehydration as all water content will be used up for sweating to control
body temperature. Sweating may not be felt as there is instant evaporation because
the weather is dry and hot.
What causes heat stress: When the body becomes hot it sweats or perspires
and when the perspiration evaporates, the body cools down. If the perspiration
does not evaporate because of high atmospheric moisture content (relative humidity),
the body's mechanism to control its temperature fails. Symptoms of heat stress
appear. This type of humidity-related heat disorder mostly occurs during June-July
in northern India while in southern India it is during July-August as the scorching
summer leaves and it becomes cloudy and rains break intermittently. Exposure
in the sun and physical activities are to be limited in both the seasons. In
high humidity and hot weather, staying in the bathroom or covering body with
wet cloth can lead to heat stress unawares, unlike in the case of a sun stroke.
Heat Index: The Heat Index shows how much heat the body faces or "feels"
in shady locations, at a particular level of atmospheric temperature at certain humidity level. In case of prolonged exposure or strenuous activities, heat index values
will go up by 15°F. Hot winds can also be extremely hazardous. The wind adds
heat to the body.
Fahrenheit-Centigrade conversion formula:
C=(F-32)x5/9
F=(Cx9/5)+32
COMMON HEAT DISORDERS:- Heat exhaustion symptoms: Feeling heavy sweating (in heat stress), weakness, dizziness, nausea/vomiting, muscle cramps, headache, disorientation, rapid heart beat, pale skin
First aid tips: Get to a cooler, air conditioned place; Drink water
if fully conscious; Take a cool shower or use cold compression; Cover neck,
chest and feet with wet cloth (only in heat stroke); Lie under the fan.
Who is at risk: Children, Seniors, Athletes, Outdoor Workers, the Sick
Prevention: Avoid exposure to sunlight; Limit outdoor activities; No
excessive physical strain; Drink water; No coffeine; No alcohol; Cool showering;
Light and loose clothing; No waiting in car
Mysterious deaths and heat stress index
How to prevent heat stress
What did Dubai do?
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