This summer, brace for above-normal max temperatures, prolonged heatwaves: IMD

Above-normal maximum and minimum temperatures are expected over most parts of the country from March to May, stated the IMD forecast for the season.

With the summer setting in over south peninsular India in March, above-normal maximum and minimum temperatures are expected over the region during the month, with heatwave conditions expected in northeast peninsular India, including parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and adjoining Karnataka and some areas of Odisha, going by the forecast.

This year, the south peninsular India has recorded the warmest February from 1901 onwards, with a mean temperature of 27.13 degrees Celsius, which is 1.2 degrees above the normal of 25.93 degrees Celsius. The IMD said in its forecast that hot-and-humid weather could prevail over Kerala on March 1 and “improve thereafter.”

Northwest India could be spared the heat, at least for the first two weeks of March, with rainfall likely to be brought in by western disturbances to the region.

“In March, up to the second week, we are expecting consecutive western disturbances over the Himalayan region and the adjoining plains, and therefore we are not expecting any heatwave conditions in March over this area…we will have good rainfall activity,” Mohapatra said.

A western disturbance that now lies over Afghanistan is likely to move eastwards, and this system, along with moisture from the Arabian Sea, could bring widespread rainfall and thunderstorms, and isolated heavy rainfall or snowfall over the western Himalayan region till March 3. This could also bring rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds of 30 to 40 kmph over the plains of northwest India — Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and northern Madhya Pradesh from March 1 to 3, going by the forecast.

The rainfall is likely to come close on the heels of what has been a 46 per cent deficit in rainfall over northwest India from January 1 to February 29.