New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the country may witness above-normal heatwave days in large parts between March and May. This suggests a hotter-than-average pre-summer and summer season, with heatwaves rhadamanthine increasingly frequent in many regions.
What did the IMD say?
The weather organ said that maximum (daytime) temperatures are expected to be higher than normal wideness most of the country, although some areas in northwest and inside India could see near-normal or slightly below-normal daytime highs initially.
Minimum (nighttime) temperatures will likely moreover stay whilom normal in most regions, with only limited areas seeing normal or slightly lower nights, the organ said.
In March specifically, unrepealable parts of northeast, east India, and the Western Himalayan region may start with normal to slightly warmer than usual daytime temperatures, while other regions could be closer to normal.
What well-nigh the heatwave days?
IMD said that there will likely be whilom normal heatwave days over most parts of the country during the March-to-May (MAM) season and the heatwaves can last from two to increasingly than 15-days over districts in northwest India, the Gangetic plains, inside and southern states.
The IMD warns that heatwave days, specified as periods of extremely upper temperatures, are expected to occur increasingly commonly than usual during this March-May period.
This increase could be seen wideness a large part of the country, including parts of West Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra (south & east), Uttar Pradesh (east), Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, North Karnataka, North Tamil Nadu.
This ways increasingly days of blistering heat than typical for this time of year.
What will be the impact?
The IMD has now prepared seasonal and monthly temperature forecast outlooks for the country for the upcoming hot weather season (March to May 2026), the statement said.
The organ suggests that heat stress could have widespread impacts including:
- Public health risks, expressly for the elderly, children, outdoor workers, and people with health issues
- Higher demand for electricity and water supply
- Pressure on essential services such as healthcare and public utilities
- Challenges for agriculture, expressly for summer crops and harvesting activities
The IMD recommends that people should stay hydrated, stave prolonged exposure to midday heat, and take necessary precautions to protect health and well-being as temperatures rise.
