Temperature spike in early April hits north, central India

Bengaluru: Twenty-one cities across five Indian states recorded temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius and above today, as an intense early April heat wave sweeps through the country. According to meteorological authorities, Delhi will continue to face scorching conditions for the next three days.

The extreme temperatures are affecting regions across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Odisha, with significant deviations from normal ranging from 3 to 6.9 degrees above average for this time of year.

“The predominant surface wind speed will likely be 8-10 km/h during the morning. The wind speed will gradually decrease thereafter, becoming 4-6 km/h from the southeast direction during the afternoon. It will increase, becoming less than 8 km/h from the southeast direction during the evening and night,” stated the meteorological office in an official communication.

Weather officials attributed the temperature spike partly to decreasing wind speeds, particularly in Delhi.

In Rajasthan, the city of Barmer shattered historical records, with Sunday’s maximum temperature reaching 45.6 degrees Celsius – the highest ever recorded in the first week of April, marking a departure of 6.8 degrees above normal.

The meteorological department has forecast that heatwave conditions will likely persist in “isolated to few pockets over Gujarat during 6-10 April with severe heatwave conditions in isolated pockets over Saurashtra and Kutch.” Similar heatwave conditions are expected over Rajasthan during the same period.

Weather authorities have also warned that heatwave conditions are “very likely in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and West Uttar Pradesh” in the coming days.

Health officials recommend limiting outdoor activities during peak afternoon hours and maintaining proper hydration while this unseasonable heat wave continues across northern and western India.

with agency inputs