Vidarbha’s wait for the monsoon is set to get longer, with weather experts indicating that the seasonal rains are unlikely to become active over the region before June 25. In the meantime, residents are expected to face a fresh spell of scorching heat, with heatwave conditions forecast over the next four days.
Former India Meteorological Department (IMD) official Manikrao Khule said the monsoon has remained stalled over Konkan due to the lack of a favourable weather system. As a result, its advance into the interior parts of Maharashtra has been delayed.
Khule explained that the Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon, which is largely responsible for bringing rainfall to Vidarbha, has shown little progress in recent days. However, conditions are expected to improve gradually, and the monsoon could become active between June 25 and July 1, facilitating its advance into the region.
He noted that there has been virtually no significant movement of the monsoon over Konkan since June 8. Going by current conditions, the monsoon may take another week to reach Mumbai. Weather systems favourable for its further advancement are likely to develop after June 23.
Once the monsoon reaches Mumbai and gains strength, it is expected to cross the Sahyadri ranges before moving into central Maharashtra and eventually Vidarbha. While rainfall over the past few days had brought temporary relief from the heat, temperatures have started climbing once again across the region. Weather officials have warned that heatwave conditions are likely in several districts over the coming four days.
On Tuesday, Brahmapuri recorded the highest maximum temperature in Vidarbha at 42.2°C, nearly 5.9°C above normal. Gondia followed closely at 42°C, which was 6.1°C above average. Wardha registered 40.9°C, remaining 4.1°C above normal despite a slight drop from previous days.
Nagpur also witnessed a rise in temperature, recording a maximum of 40°C compared to 38.6°C on Monday. The city’s temperature was 3.1°C above the seasonal norm.
Most other districts recorded temperatures around or below the 40°C mark. Amravati remained relatively cooler at 37.4°C and received 18 mm rainfall during the past 24 hours. However, with monsoon activity still some distance away, residents across Vidarbha are likely to face several more days of intense heat before meaningful rainfall arrives.
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