The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of hotter-than-usual temperatures in the country from April to June with many states in central and eastern India expected to experience more heatwave days.
Though the mercury is likely to be normal in some areas in western and eastern India, most parts of the country will see higher-than-normal maximum temperatures, the weather agency said on Monday.
"From April to June, most parts of north and east India, central India, and the plains of northwest India are expected to experience two to four more heatwave days than normal," IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said in a press conference.
The IMD had earlier warned that the northwest states might face double the number of heatwave days during this summer. “Generally, Northwest India sees around 5 to 6 heatwave days. This year, we expect 10 to 12 days, which is double the normal," IMD scientist Soma Sen Roy had said on March 26.
In its latest update, the agency claimed that these states are likely to see above-normal heatwave days: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
“Minimum temperatures will be higher than usual across most of the country, except for a few places in the northwest and the northeast where temperatures may be normal or slightly below normal,” said Mohapatra.
India’s hottest year on record was 2024 when the country experienced 554 heatwave days.
A heatwave condition occurs when the maximum temperature in the plains reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius or is five degrees above normal.
Meanwhile, the IMD's Seasonal Heat Outlook for March to May 2025, released on February 28, warned that most parts of the country would experience above-normal maximum and minimum temperatures. However, the southernmost regions of Peninsular India and some isolated areas in the Northeast may see near-normal or slightly below-normal temperatures, it said.