It’s just April, and the intense heatwaves of summer have begun to boil the soul as soon as one steps outside. Now, all you want is the constant cool air from the AC and possibly a hand-fan in the bag.
Till April 26, the Indian Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for heatwave with temperatures reaching 44 degrees Celsius in some places. In the midst of such harsh temperatures, most people reach for the AC remote and end up overconsuming the cold air. However, what most users forget is that the cooling of your air conditioners not only depends upon its own functioning but also on the region’s weather.
An air conditioner will not provide the same cooling at the same temperature in two different regions, for instance Delhi NCR and Mumbai. Moreover, selecting different modes will also have varied performance on the basis of the area.
Eastern India
In areas in the East including Kolkata, Calicut and others, the air conditioner should be set to 24-25 degrees Celsius. It is advised to keep the fan on to ensure circulation of the cold air across the room to provide comfort and cooling.
Southern India
The ideal temperature in areas of southern India such as Bengaluru and Kerala is 25-26 degrees Celsius. These areas remain mostly humid and do not receive extreme heat, thus ideal for higher temperatures for maximum cooling.
Western India
Areas located in the west including Mumbai, Gujarat and others should have their AC set on 25 degrees Celsius. Families should also invest in dehumidifiers since these areas are extremely humid.
Since high-humidity regions don’t require much cooling, running the AC at 25 degrees Celsius with the dehumidifier will be more effective in providing relief.
Intense heatwave in India
The temperatures in Delhi have been surpassing 42 degrees Celsius due to the scorching heat. As per Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of IMD, northern parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains, the eastern coastal states and western states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and adjoining areas will have a higher than normal number of heatwaves this year. “There are climatologically prone areas — for example, the normal temperature in the Vidarbha region (Maharashtra) is around 41 to 42 degrees Celsius at this time of year. Similarly, the normal temperature in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana touches 40 to 44 degrees Celsius towards the month of May,” he said to PTI videos. As per the IMD forecast, heatwave conditions are expected in the months of April, May and June in many places across the country.
