Several parts of Gujarat are reeling under heatwave conditions, with Patan city in the northern region recording 45.4 degrees Celsius on Thursday, said officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) here.
Some respite from the condition is expected after May 13, they said.
As per a weather warning issued by the IMD, “heat wave” prevailed at isolated pockets in Anand, Surat, Botad, Porbandar, Surendranagar and Kutch during the day and it is likely to continue in these areas on Friday as well.
In an advisory, the IMD said people should avoid direct exposure to sunlight and wear light-coloured cotton clothes to save themselves from the heat wave conditions.
While Patan city was the hottest with the mercury touching 45.4 degrees Celsius, at least 12 other places in the state recorded maximum temperatures above 43 degrees on Thursday.
Places where temperature rose above 43 degrees include Patan (45.4), Junagadh (44.6), Amreli (44.0), Rajkot (43.8), Vadodara (43.8), Ahmedabad (43.7), Deesa (43.7), Chhotaudepur (43,7), Panchmahal KVK (43.5), Porbandar (43.5), Surat KVK (43.5), Gandhinagar (43.5) and Bhuj (43.4).
“The weather will remain dry for the next five years as there is no possibility of rain as of now in Gujarat. Places like Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Deesa have recorded maximum temperatures above 43 degrees on Thursday. There will be no large change in maximum temperatures during the next 48 hours. After May 13, there will be a gradual fall by two to three degrees,” said Manorama Mohanty, director of Meteorological Centre, Ahmedabad.
According to her, a change in wind pattern would bring respite from severe heat after May 13.
She added that the temperature in Bhuj town of Kutch district will likely be higher than other places on Friday.
-With PTI Input
