Heatwave strikes nine Indian states; Delhi to face heat in next few days

New Delhi: The onset of summer has put nine states across peninsular India sizzling under the heatwave conditions, with maximum temperature hovering above 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday.

With March yet to end, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat and Maharashtra have recorded high temperatures in the past few days.

Weather analysts fears that Delhi will also be swept by heatwave condition in the next few days.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the number of states suffering the heatwaves has gone up from three to nine in the past three days since Monday.

Conditions in the western and eastern regions of Rajasthan are marked as "severe". Barmer, Jaisalmer and Siker are the worse affected districts with temperatures hovering between 43 to 44.4 degrees Celsius.

"Some isolated and large regions of these states are facing the heatwaves. The intensity varies from normal to severe. This is the current situation which is expected to continue for some more days," an official of the IMD told IANS.

In Maharashtra, unusually hot conditions with temperatures hovering above 40 degrees Celsius in the past 72 hours have claimed at least two lives so far.

On Tuesday, Bhira village in Raigad district, adjoining Mumbai notched a staggering 47 degrees Celsius, more than 7 degrees Celsius above normal, but IMD officials suspect a glitch in the temperature recording instruments.

Delhi saw maximum temperature of 39.6 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, which was six degrees above normal from the current trend.

However, within next few days Delhi could see heatwave, Mahesh Palawat, Director at private weather forecaster Skymet, told IANS.

Palawat forecasts that around April 5, regions of Haryana and Punjab could see some pre-monsoon rains which may bring some temporary relief.

"The month of April will be very hot, the pre-monsoon rain will bring relief but will be temporary. Month of May will see some relief though," Palawat said.

The change in winds, clear sky conditions over the northwest and adjoining central India and approaching western disturbance with only mallow effects over the Himalayan regions are being attributed to the sizzling effect in the rest of the India.

As per current trend, maximum temperature in Nagpur, Maharashtra, is expected to reach 44 degrees Celsius by April 1, which at present is 42 degrees. Amreli in Gujarat sizzles at 43 degrees Celsius, Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh at 41.6 degrees Celsius and Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh at 42.1 degrees Celsius.

Heatwave occurs when the maximum temperature reaches above 40 degrees Celsius and at least 5 degrees above the season's average and stays like that for five days.

Unusually hot conditions with temperatures hovering above 40 degrees Celsius in large parts of Maharashtra in the past 72 hours have claimed at least two lives so far, officials said.

(With IANS inputs)