The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave alert for Maharashtra over the next four days. Citizens have been advised to take the required precautions and stay indoors during the afternoon hours. The district administration of Wardha has directed all schools to remain shut on Thursday in view of the extreme heat.
According to the IMD, severe heatwave conditions are likely across the state for the next four days. Temperatures in many parts of Vidarbha, Marathwada, and central Maharashtra are expected to range between 40°C and 44°C. There is also a possibility of rain on 18 and 19 April, local media reports quoted the IMD as saying.
In Mumbai and along the Konkan coast, hot and humid conditions are expected to persist, with discomfort peaking during the afternoon. Authorities have urged citizens to avoid going outdoors between 12 pm and 4 pm unless essential, TV9 Marathi said in a report.
"In the coming four to five days, there will be no respite from the heat, and temperatures will continue to rise in Vidarbha. The reason is that there is an anti-cyclonic circulation existing at a height of 3.1 km and above from the mean sea level over Maharashtra and the adjoining area," Dr Praveen Kumar, a scientist at the IMD's Nagpur centre, told news agency PTI.
On Wednesday, Akola city in the Vidarbha region recorded a maximum temperature of 44.2 degrees Celsius, the highest in the country for the day. Amravati (44), Wardha (43.9), and Nagpur (43.4) occupied the top four spots in the country in terms of the highest maximum temperature for the day, the IMD confirmed.
