The India Meteorological Department (IMD) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences issues district-level heatwave warnings and impact-based forecasts twice daily, including expected impacts and suggested mitigation actions as per National Disaster Management Authority guidelines and heat action plans. These risk-based warnings are disseminated to disaster managers, stakeholders, media, and the general public through multiple communication channels including email, APIs, mobile applications, social media, websites, electronic and print media, mass communication systems, and Common Alerting Protocol-based mechanisms.
IMD has developed the Hazard and Vulnerability Atlas of India providing district-wise vulnerability assessments for heatwave hazards, covering all districts including Barmer district in Rajasthan which has a Heatwave Vulnerability Index of 0.54 on a scale of 0 to 1, placing it in the High Vulnerability category. The department shares heatwave bulletins regularly with various stakeholders including Disaster Management Authorities, Health Departments, Labour Departments, Indian Railways, Transport Department, and Forest Departments.
As a pilot initiative, IMD has begun disseminating impact-based heatwave warnings to informal workers through their associations in simple, actionable formats. Regular meetings are held by NDMA with stakeholders to disseminate IMD forecasts for anticipatory actions. Most heatwave-related products are available on a web-GIS-based platform openly accessible to the public.
The government has significantly strengthened heatwave monitoring, forecasting, and early warning systems through IMD in collaboration with NDMA, State agencies, and local health departments. Heat Action Plans have been implemented in many parts of the country to provide advance warnings and preventive guidance. Since 2016, IMD has issued seasonal outlooks for temperatures and heatwaves to support planning, along with monthly outlooks, extended-range weekly forecasts, and twice-daily heatwave bulletins for various stakeholders.
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