'It's April, but feels like May-June': Heatwave grips north India
On Monday, national capital Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 40.1 degree Celsius, the highest temperature record in March in last 76 years.
Many parts in north India have been reeling under a heatwave with the mercury touching 40 degrees Celsius-mark, especially in Rajasthan. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted another heatwave over the plains by April 3.
"April has just begun but considering the heat, it feels like May-June have arrived," news agency ANI quoted a local as saying in Rajasthan's Jodhpur.
"As per doctors' advice, we are consuming a lot of cool drinks like buttermilk to get through this weather," another local told .
The IMD has already warned that maximum temperatures in most parts of the country will be above normal between April and June. On Tuesday, it sounded a heatwave alert for parts of Telangana for the next three days.
On Monday, the national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 40.1 degree Celsius, the highest temperature record in March in last 76 years.
In fact, March was the warmest in the last 11 years, according to IMD. Kuldeep Shrivastava, Regional Head of IMD Delhi, said that the mean maximum temperature (MMT) for Delhi for March is 33.1 degree Celsius which is 3.5 degree Celsius above normal.
The highest MMT of 34.1 degree Celsius was observed in March, 2010 according to IMD data.
Talking about the situation in plains, IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohaptra said there was pressure variation between the area stretching from the Gujarat coast to Haryana. In addition to this, there was transfer of heat from Rajasthan which was already reeling under the heatwave. "This led to the heating of plains," he said.
Dust raising strong surface winds (speed reaching 30-40 kmph) are very likely to prevail over Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, north Madhya Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal during March 31 to April 1, the IMD said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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