New Delhi:Most of India may suffer from above normal day time and night time temperatures along with heatwaves in the summer season of April-May-June, according to the latest seasonal outlook issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Temperatures across India are already soaring, with four states having recorded either heatwave conditions or warm night conditions between March 27 and April 1. These are Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Heatwave conditions prevail when the maximum temperatures of a place cross 40 degrees Celsius (°C) for the plains and are above normal by 4.5°C. For coastal areas, the threshold is 37°C and for the hills, it is 30°C.
IMD says that except for isolated places in east, the Northeast and northwest, the rest of India may likely experience above normal maximum temperatures in April, May and June. The prediction is similar for the month of April as well.
People may not get much respite from the heat even during the nights, as the weather agency forecasts above normal minimum temperatures for all of India barring a few areas in the Northeast and northwest of the country. The prediction remains the same for the month of April as well.
IMD also predicted that above normal heatwave days could occur in most parts of the southern peninsula, central India, east India and the plains of northwest India.
The states with the highest anomaly of days with heatwaves during April-May-June are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
The warning for hot temperatures and heatwaves comes at a time when the El Nino event in the equatorial Pacific Ocean is in its waning phase.
IMD predicted that the El Nino — generally responsible for warmer temperatures in many places around the world including India — may turn neutral within the season, with a possibility of La Nina conditions developing during the monsoon season.
The IMD has not put out any predictions for hot and humid weather in its forecasts, which would have taken into account relative humidity as an additional factor.
The combination of higher temperatures and increased humidity in the atmosphere leads to humid heat waves which many places in India have been undergoing without being monitored.