IMD Alert: Parts of Karnataka, Gujarat, and Rajasthan sizzle as temperatures surpass 40-degree mark

In a recent update from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), soaring temperatures have been reported in several regions across Karnataka, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, breaching the 40-degree Celsius mark. The IMD has issued a cautionary advisory regarding potential heatwave conditions persisting over these areas for the next 48 hours.

On Wednesday, the mercury climbed to notable highs, registering at 41.6 degrees Celsius in Bhuj, 41.1 degrees Celsius in Rajkot, 41.5 degrees Celsius in Akola, and 41.4 degrees Celsius in Washim. While temperatures soared two to three notches above the normal range, they did not meet the criteria for officially declared heatwave conditions, as stated by an IMD official.

The threshold for a heatwave classification is met when the maximum temperature reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees Celsius in coastal regions, and 30 degrees Celsius in hilly areas, accompanied by a departure of at least four-and-a-half notches from the normal range.

According to the IMD's statement, heatwave conditions are highly probable in isolated pockets over North Interior Karnataka from March 27th to 29th, Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat on March 27th and 28th, and southwest Rajasthan on March 27th. Furthermore, warm nights, characterised by above-normal minimum temperatures, are expected to prevail in isolated pockets of Gujarat, Marathwada, and Madhya Maharashtra during March 27th to 29th.

Read More: Delhi records minimum temperature of 19.4 deg C, light rain likely during day

Forecasting the weather outlook, hot and humid conditions are predicted over Konkan and Goa on March 27th and 28th, extending to Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala, and Mahe during March 27th to 31st.

Earlier predictions by the IMD suggested a warmer summer and increased occurrences of heatwaves this year, attributing these trends to the continuation of El Niño conditions expected to last until May. The forecast indicates an above-normal number of heatwave days across most parts of the country, except for the northeast, the western Himalayan region, the southwest peninsula, and the west coast, from March to May.

El Niño, characterized by periodic warming of the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, typically recurs every two to seven years and lasts nine to twelve months. Its impacts include heightened rainfall in the Horn of Africa and southern United States, alongside unusually dry and warm conditions in Southeast Asia, Australia, and southern Africa.

Citing an analysis of temperature data dating back to 1970, researchers at Climate Central, a US-based independent group of scientists, underscored the amplified likelihood of temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius in late March due to climate change. Notably, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar had a more than 5% probability of encountering such temperatures in the early 1970s. However, the analysis indicates that the likelihood has since extended to nine states, including Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh, with Maharashtra having the highest probability at 14%.