The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Saturday that maximum temperatures are lowering across the country, providing respite to thousands of people who have been affected by the heat wave thus early in the year. The highest maximum temperature was 42.2 degrees Celsius in Phalodi, Rajasthan, on Saturday. Heat wave conditions have been reported in several regions of the country, with severe heatwaves in some pockets over Himachal Pradesh and west Rajasthan; heat wave to severe heat wave conditions have also been reported in isolated pockets over the Jammu division and west Madhya Pradesh.
“Reported maximum temperatures show a downward trend across the country.” According to the IMD advisory, “this trend is projected to induce a reduction in heat wave conditions in most of the afflicted regions beginning Sunday.”
Heat waves are expected to persist in isolated pockets in western Rajasthan on Sunday, Vidarbha on Sunday and Monday, and western Madhya Pradesh until March 22.
Heat waves and severe heat waves have been sweeping Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Odisha for nearly a week. Even in the Himalayan states and foothills, maximum temperatures were higher than typical earlier in the week.
Isolated to scattered rainfall/snowfall with isolated thunderstorms/lightning is highly likely over the western Himalayan region on Sunday and Monday, according to the IMD, due to the influence of a western disturbance.
Over the next five days, light isolated rainfall with thunderstorms/lightning is extremely possible in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karnataka; over Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra Pradesh until March 22; and over Telangana on Sunday. From March 21, light to moderate isolated rainfall is highly possible over Northeast India, according to the IMD.
