Onset of summer begins with rising temps says IMD; scientists examine co-relation with Covid-19

Following a week of inclement rainy weather, Pune will now move into summer proper, IMD said in its forecast, released on Thursday.

There will be a gradual change in temperatures in the next five to seven days, with a rise to 40 degrees Celcius in some areas of northwest, west, central, east and western India, India Meteorological Department’s head of weather, Anupam Kashyapi said on Thursday evening.

Deserted view of Connaught Place on day ten of the 21-day nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, in New Delhi, India, on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

Following a week of inclement rainy weather, Pune will now move into summer proper, IMD said in its forecast, released on Thursday.

As reported by HT recently, scientists across the world are examining a possible co-relation between temperature data with Covid-19 cases and transmission patterns. IMD said a link between temperature and the virus is yet to be established.

While Pune recorded 38 degrees Celsius as its maximum temperature on April 2, its minimum was at 18.6 degrees Celsius with a mainly clear sky.

The forecast for between April 4 and April 8 has the max temperature in the high 30s, with the minimum reading rising to 21 degrees Celsius.

On March 1, some parts of Maharashtra experienced very high maximum temperatures, with Solapur at 39.9 degrees Celsius, followed by 39.1 degrees Celsius in Aurangabad and 39.0 degrees Celsius in Jalgaon.

On April 1, Malegaon recorded a maximum temperature of 40.4 degrees Celsius, while the lowest minimum temperature was reported at Nashik at 18.0 degrees Celsius.

Following IMD’s extended range forecast, the temperature in April across most parts of the country is expected to be 0.5-1 degrees Celsius warmer than normal.

According to IMD, heat waves are likely to be seen in the coming months with a “core heat-wave zone” which will be in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana, and subdivisions of Marathwada, Central Maharashtra and coastal Andhra Pradesh.