New Delhi: After a cooler March that saw unseasonal rains and hailstorms, April could be much hotter than usual, the India Meteorological Department predicted on Saturday.
Between April and June, most parts of the country except the southern peninsular region and some parts of west-central India, temperatures are expected to be higher than normal temperatures, director general M Mohapatra said. The Met department’s forecast has also warned of above normal heatwave days in most parts of northwest, east and central India during the period.
“Above normal heatwave days are likely over many parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, east Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, north Chhattisgarh, western part of Maharashtra, Gujarat and some parts of west Uttar Prades, Punjab and Haryana in April,” Mohapatra said.
While the temperatures are expected to remain withing the average range in the first half of April, the mercury will start soaring in the second half of the month, Mohapatra said. In the initial period of April, the average rainfall over the country is also likely to be normal to above normal. The long-period average of rainfall over India during April is about 39.2mm.
In its long-range forecast issued in February, the weather bureau had warned of a warmer than usual March, April and May. However, owing to a string of western disturbances, temperatures in the second half of March remained on the lower side.
The country received 37.6mm rainfall as against the normal of 29.9mm in March, weather office data showed. Northwest India recorded 41.1mm rainfall against the normal of 47.9mm, central India received 23.9mm, which was 7.8mm higher than average.
{{/usCountry}}The country received 37.6mm rainfall as against the normal of 29.9mm in March, weather office data showed. Northwest India recorded 41.1mm rainfall against the normal of 47.9mm, central India received 23.9mm, which was 7.8mm higher than average.
{{/usCountry}}“During the second half of the month, most parts of India experienced unusual long spells of simultaneous thunderstorm activities, covering very large areas of the country, accompanied with isolated hailstorm, lightning and gusty winds,” the monthly review for March showed.
This was because of seven western disturbances along with induced circulations impacted the country, Mohapatra said. The systems were particularly active between March 12 and 22.
“Normal to above normal rainfall was experienced over most part of the country and below normal rainfall was observed over extreme northwest and northeast India and some parts of south peninsula,” Mohapatra said.