India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that heat wave to severe heat wave conditions prevailing over Northwest and Central India are likely to reduce gradually from Thursday.
These conditions are very likely to prevail in Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Odisha till Thursday. No significant change in maximum temperatures is predicted over Northwest and Central India for today (Wednesday). The temperature prevailing over these regions are expected to fall by 2-3 degree Celsius in the next few days.
On Tuesday, Mungeshpur area of Delhi recorded 49.9 degree Celsius, which was the highest recorded maximum temperature in the national capital this season. The weather department also forecast that conditions continue to become favourable for the onset of Southwest Monsoon over Kerala and for advance over some parts of Northeastern states in the next 2-3 days.
The IMD further said, Northwest India is expected to witness isolated to scattered light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm and lightning till 2nd of next month as the fresh Western Disturbances are likely to affect this region tomorrow.
As the cyclonic storm Remal weakened into low pressure area over northeast Assam and neighbourhood, heavy rainfall occurred over parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura, and light rainfall in nearby areas yesterday.
The extreme heatwave conditions intensified in Rajasthan with a majority of places witnessing maximum temperatures above 46 °C. According to the Meteorological Centre Jaipur, Churu on Tuesday recorded the season’s highest temperature at 50.5 °C, 7.5 degrees above normal, while Pilani recorded its highest-ever temperature at 49 °C.
The previous highest maximum temperature for Pilani was recorded at 48.6 °C on May 2, 1999. On the other hand, Churu recorded its highest-ever maximum temperature at 50.8 °C on June 1, 2019.
The weather office said 49.4 °C was recorded at Ganganagar, 49.0 °C at Pilani and Phalodi, 48.3 °C at Bikaner, 48.2 °C at Kota, 48.0 °C at Jaisalmer, 46.6 °C at Jaipur and 46.0 °C at Barmer.
The maximum temperature in the Srinagar city of Jammu and Kashmir was 32.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, which is 6.6 degrees more than the normal, as per the India Meteorological Department.
Qazigund, also known as the Gateway of Kashmir, recorded a maximum temperature of 33.4 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam (27.8 degrees), and Kupwara (30.9 degrees) on May 28, as per the Meteorological Centre Srinagar (MCS).
“It is very hot. The heat in Srinagar has been increasing for some days now… The weather department has also said that the effect of the heatwave will also be seen here in the coming days,” said Noor, a local from Srinagar.
Large parts of northern India have been reeling under a fierce heatwave over the last few weeks. Kashmir IMD Director Mukhtar Ahmad said that there might be relief from the heatwave spell over two days, starting on May 30-31.
“There was a forecast that a heatwave spell would be experienced in Jammu and Kashmir, including the plains of the valley. On May 30-31, there might be some relief from the heat, and on the first two days of June…,” Ahmad said. As per the latest weather update, Kupwara, Baramulla and other places in Kashmir will receive a spell of rain during the next one to two hours.