 "Weather report: Season's first widespread heatwave is ahead for India")
The scorching heat has tightened grip over India in the past week; from south to north, the temperature in India has taken a sharp increase from March 25 to March 31.
On March 29, Bengaluru reported the hottest day of the season with a maximum temperature of 36.4 °C.
Some key records of this temperature:
• This is the highest temperature in the last 5 years
• Third highest in the last 10 years
• Fourth highest in the last 15 years
• Sixth highest in the history of the month of March
• In Bengaluru, a 37°C + temperature was last recorded in 2017 and 2019
• The highest-ever temperature for the month of March is 37.3°C from March 29, 1996
Central and western parts of the country observed the highest temperature of the season so far on March 27. Isolated patches in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh reported heatwave conditions, as maximum temperatures were reported above normal by 4 to 5°C.
Maximum temperature on March 27:
Akola: 42.8°C
Malegaon: 42.0°C
Solapur: 41.3°C
Parbhani: 41.2°C
Phalodi: 42.0°C
Dungarpur: 41.0°C
Kota: 40.8°C
Jaisalmer: 40.7°C
Amreli: 41.6°C
Ahmedabad: 41.1°C
Rajkot: 41.0°C
Narmadapuram: 41.2°C
Damoh: 41.0°C
Guna: 40.6°C
The national capital, Delhi, witnessed the hottest day of the season with a maximum temperature of 37.8°C on March 28.
Agra: 40.8°C
Mathura: 40.5°C
Prayagraj: 40.0°C
Chitrakoot: 40.0°C
Kannauj: 38.5°C
Kanpur IAF: 38.4°C
Damoh: 42.5°C
Guna: 41.6°C
Sagar: 41.6°C
Narmadapuram: 41.3°C
Shivpuri: 41.0°C
Bhopal: 40.5°C
During the course of the week, parts of north-east and east India experienced rainy days as pre-monsoon rains intensified in the seven sister states. A weak western disturbance over the weekend has also resulted in light to moderate rainfall over Punjab and Jammu division, and light to moderate snowfall has occurred in Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh from March 29 to March 31.
Let’s take a look at the seasonal rainfall in India, categorised in the pre-monsoon season until March 31. The pan-India actual rainfall so far in the period from March 1 to March 31 stands at 28.5 mm, against the normal of 29.9 mm. The departure from normal currently stands at -5 per cent, reduced by 1 per cent week over week.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSubdivision-wise pre-monsoon seasonal rainfall during March 1st–31st, 2024:
• Southern peninsula: Actual 3.3 mm against the average of 15.5 mm, -79 per cent departure from normal.
• East and northeast India: Actual 52.6 mm against the average of 59.7 mm, -12 per cent departure from normal.
• Northwest India: Actual 45.9 mm against the average of 47.9 mm, -4 per cent departure from normal.
• Central India: Actual 15.9 mm against the average of 7.8 mm, +104 per cent departure from normal.
Current synoptic weather features influencing weather in India as of March 31, 2024:
A western disturbance, as a trough in middle tropospheric westerlies with its axis at 5.8 km above mean sea level, now runs roughly along Long. 74°E to the north of Lat. 30°N.
A induced cyclonic circulation over south Haryana and the surrounding neighbourhood, extending up to 0.9 km above mean sea level, persists.
A trough/wind discontinuity from interior Tamil Nadu to Marathwada across interior Karnataka, extending up to 1.5 km above mean sea level, persists.
A cyclonic circulation over northeast Assam at 1.5 km above mean sea level persists.
A north-south trough from east Bihar to the north Bay of Bengal across Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal at 0.9 km above mean sea level persists.
A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect western Himalayan region from the night of 2 April, 2024.
Another western disturbance is likely to affect the western Himalayan region on April 5, 2024.
All India weather forecast till April 7, 2024:
April will start on a hot note for a large part of India; no significant western disturbance is predicted until April 6. Also, the wind convergence in the eastern parts of India will weaken Monday onwards, with negligible indications of pre-monsoon rains picking up in the southern parts of India in the upcoming week as well.
The weather conditions are very fruitful for a hot entry in the month of April in most parts of India.
The season’s first widespread heatwave is ahead for India.
Dry weather conditions and clear skies will favour a rise in daytime temperatures in the south, central, and western parts of the country in the upcoming week.
The weather models Outlooks are confident for maximum temperatures to reach 42 to 44°C in some places in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and north Karnataka from April 2nd to April 5th.
The remaining parts of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan are expected to report day highs in the range of 38 to 42°C. These states might escape the heatwave, but weather conditions are still likely to be very hot.
The plains of north India expect relatively better weather in the first week of April as north-west winds are not as hot right now, the continuous snowfall over the Himalayas is keeping the winds cool, and the temperature is still under control.
From April 1 to April 7, maximum temperatures are expected in the range of 32 to 36°C in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. The minimum temperature would also record around 20°C or below, keeping the nights comfortable for one more week.
When large parts of the country experience dry weather conditions, some parts of Meghalaya, Nagaland, Assam, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh can witness light to moderate evening showers in the upcoming week; however, the intensity of the rains will be lesser compared to the last week of March.
On a longer range, the pre-monsoon rains are expected to start in the southern peninsula in the second week of April; however, the intensity and spread will remain on the lower side before mid-April, hence the summer peak is likely to stay in the southern states for the next two to three weeks.
The writer, better known as the Rohtak Weatherman, interprets and explains complex weather patterns. His impact-based forecasts @navdeepdahiya55 are very popular in north India. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.
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