The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said that most of the India is expected to have above-normal temperatures from April-June.
The IMD on Saturday said above-normal heatwave days are predicted in most parts of central, east and northwest India during this period.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said that most of the India is expected to have above-normal temperatures from April-June.
The IMD forecast comes after India already recorded its hottest February since 1901, the earliest year for which temperature data is available.
The IMD on Saturday said above-normal heatwave days are predicted in most parts of central, east and northwest India during this period.
"A significantly higher number of heatwave days are predicted over parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana," IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mahapatra said in a virtual press conference.
"During the 2023 hot weather season (April to June), most parts of the country are expected to experience above-normal maximum temperatures, except for south peninsular India and some parts of northwest India where normal to below-normal maximum temperatures are likely," the IMD said.
Normal to above-normal minimum temperatures are very likely over most parts of the country, barring some areas in northeast and northwest India and isolated pockets of the peninsular region, it said.
The weather bureau said India is expected to see normal rainfall in April.
Normal to above normal precipitation is expected over most parts of northwest, central and peninsular region, while below normal rain is predicted in east and northeast India, said IMD.
There are different conditions for a weather condition to be categorised as a heatwave. Heatwave is considered to be in an area if maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40*C or more for plains and at least 30*C or more for hilly regions along with these two conditions: Departure from normal is 4.5*C-6.4*C is heatwave and severe heat wave is departure from normal is >6.4*C.
Additionally, heatwave is considered whenever temperature touches 45*C and severe heatwave is considered when temperature reaches 47*C.
Last year, Delhi touched its all-time high temperature as parts of the national capital touched 49*C.
Currently, large parts of West and North India are experiencing unseasonal rains and storms that have damaged crops and raised the risk of several infections in people such as respiratory diseases and influenza.
(With PTI inputs)