E-Paper
Maximum temperature starts rising, some places record 40°C
Heat is likely to intensify at these places during the next two to three days. Heat wave is also likely to develop over southwest Madhya Pradesh and northwest Vidarbha on April 14 and 15, according to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD).
Maximum temperatures have started rising across the country with many districts in central and west India recording over 40 degrees C. Heat wave conditions are likely to develop in Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat.
Heat is likely to intensify at these places during the next two to three days. Heat wave is also likely to develop over southwest Madhya Pradesh and northwest Vidarbha on April 14 and 15, according to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD).
Sunday bulletin.
“Many places have started recording above normal temperatures now. This is mainly because there is no intense weather system or a western disturbance which is bringing rain. Maximum temperatures across the country are likely to rise even further next week,” said K Sathi Devi, head, national weather forecasting centre.
IMD’s heat bulletin for Sunday said maximum temperatures were above normal by 3.1 to 5 degrees C at a few places over Saurashtra, Kutch, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura and Nagaland; by 1.6 to 3 degrees above normal over parts of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and over a few places of east Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, coastal Karnataka, Odisha, Goa and West Bengal.
The maximum temperature in Srinagar on Saturday was 24.4 degrees C, 4 degrees above normal; Shimla also recorded a maximum temperature of 24 degrees C, 4 degrees above normal. Many towns and cities have started recording maximum temperatures of over 40 degrees C --- Ahmedabad at 42 degrees C (3 degrees above normal); Bhuj at 42.5 degrees C; Naliya at 40.8 degrees C (6.4 degrees C above normal); Gwalior at 40 degrees C (1.6 degrees C above normal); and Akola at 42 degrees C (1.3 degrees above normal), according to IMD.
“There is an anti-cyclone (which causes calm weather) over Gujarat. The temperature hasn’t risen much over northwest India yet because of western disturbances that are affecting the region. But in central India, parts of Gujarat, Odisha, Telangana, which are in heat wave zone, have started recording higher temperatures. They have clear skies and less wind,” said RK Jenamani, senior scientist at national weather forecasting centre. He added that Delhi too could record 40 degrees C next week.
According to IMD, heat wave is recorded when the departure of maximum temperature from normal is + 4 degrees C to + 5 degrees C or more for the regions where the normal maximum temperature is more than 40 degrees C. Another criterion for IMD to declare heat wave is when the departure of maximum temperature from normal is + 5 degree C to + 6 degree C for regions where the normal maximum temperature is 40 degrees C or less. (Heat Wave is declared only when the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees C for plains and at least 30 degree C for hilly regions).
Heat wave can also declared when actual maximum temperature remains 45 degrees C or more for a day irrespective of normal maximum temperature, officials said.
A Western Disturbance as a cyclonic circulation is lying over west Afghanistan. Under its influence, scattered to fairly widespread rain and snow, gusty winds and lightning is likely over the Western Himalayan region (Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) on April 14 and 15. Another WD is also expected to impact the Western Himalayan region on April 19 and again bring rain and snow.
