‘Summer on anvil’: Days likely to get warmer northwest , says IMD

According to the IMD, the maximum temperature may increase by two to four degrees over most parts of east India in the next four to five days

Warmer days are likely in store for the city as the central weather forecasting centre has warned that the maximum temperature over most parts of northwest and central India may rise by two to four degrees over the next three days.

A view of the setting sun near Aerocity, in New Delhi, on Saturday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT)

On Sunday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 32.6°C and a minimum of 16.2°C. Strong winds (with speed up to 25-35kmph) are likely to prevail over the plains of northwest India on March 16 and 17, showed the IMD forecast.

“In Delhi, we are expecting a gradual increase in temperatures due to a climatological shift towards summer. There may be marginal relief from warm temperatures on March 16 and 17 because wind speed is likely to pick up,” said R K Jenamani, senior scientist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

According to the IMD, the maximum temperature may increase by two to four degrees over most parts of east India in the next four to five days. The mercury is also likely to rise by two to three degrees over Gujarat and Maharashtra in the next two days.

On Sunday, the maximum temperature was above 38°C over some parts of Saurashtra-Kutch and in isolated pockets of southwest Rajasthan, Gujarat region, Konkan, Goa, Telangana, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Mahe and interior Tamil Nadu. The maximum temperature was above normal at many places in Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, showed the IMD forecast.

Heat wave conditions to severe heat wave conditions prevailed in isolated pockets over coastal areas of Saurashtra-Kutch on Sunday and is likely to prevail on Monday too, said the forecast of the IMD. Heatwave conditions are likely to prevail over West Rajasthan and interior Odisha on March 15 and 16.

According to the weather department, a heat wave is recorded in areas where the maximum temperature is above 40°C or it is four to five degrees higher than the average temperature.

A heat wave is declared only when the maximum temperature reaches at least 40°C in the plains and at least 30°C in the hills. A heatwave is also declared when the maximum temperature remains above 45°C or more for a day irrespective of average normal maximum temperature.