IMD issues heatwave alert for several districts in Maharashtra

Pune has also witnessed a noticeable rise in maximum temperatures in recent days, although the city has not been placed under a heatwave alert

Pune: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a heatwave alert for several districts across Maharashtra in its weather forecast, said officials.

On Sunday, the maximum temperature at the Shivajinagar observatory was recorded at 37.1°C, which is 2.5°C above normal. (Hindustan Times)

On March 9, at least 10 districts in the state are placed under a yellow alert, including Palghar, Thane, Nashik, Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Akola and Amravati. On March 10, the warning will continue for districts including Beed, Jalna, Ahilyanagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalgaon, Parbhani, Akola, Amravati and Wardha. The intensity of the warning is expected to reduce by March 12, when the alert will remain only for Akola and Amravati districts.

Rise in max temp in Pune

Pune has also witnessed a noticeable rise in maximum temperatures in recent days, although the city has not been placed under a heatwave alert. On Sunday, the maximum temperature at the Shivajinagar observatory was recorded at 37.1°C, which is 2.5°C above normal. At the Lohegaon weather station, the maximum temperature touched 38.9°C, about 4.3°C above normal levels.

Since the beginning of March, several parts of Maharashtra have been experiencing a gradual rise in both minimum and maximum temperatures. In the Vidarbha region, the mercury has already crossed the 40°C mark in some districts. On Sunday, the highest temperature in the state was recorded at 40.9°C in Akola district, while the lowest temperature was reported from Nashik at 15.8°C.

Despite rising temperatures, IMD officials said Pune is unlikely to witness heatwave conditions in the coming days. “The city is likely to experience clear skies for the next 24 hours, and from March 10 onwards, partly cloudy conditions may develop during the afternoon or evening hours,” said SD Sanap, senior meteorologist at the IMD Pune centre.

According to Anupam Kashyapi, former head of the weather forecasting division at IMD Pune, weather conditions across the state may change slightly after March 12. “Wind interaction is likely to increase over the state from March 12 onwards, which could result in cloud formation and light rainfall in isolated areas of Maharashtra,” he said.