Heatwave conditions to stay in east, peninsular India: IMD

Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are impacting parts of Odisha, parts of Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday, adding that most parts of east and peninsular India are unusually warm.

Heatwave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets over Tamil Nadu, interior Karnataka and Telangana on March 6 and 7 and Odisha, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema on Saturday, officials familiar with the matter said.

Maximum temperatures were in the range of 40-43 degree C over most parts of Vidarbha and Odisha; many parts of Rayalaseema; some parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, Madhya Maharashtra, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam, North Interior Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu and at isolated places over East Uttar Pradesh and southwest Madhya Pradesh, which are above normal by 2- 4 degree Celcius. Minimum temperatures are above normal by 3-5 degree C at a few places over Uttar Pradesh; and at isolated places over Bihar, Gujarat Region, Madhya Maharashtra, West Bengal & Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

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Warm night conditions (nights are anonymously warm) are very likely to prevail in isolated pockets over North Interior Karnataka, Telangana, East Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada and Odisha over the weekend. Hot and humid weather is likely to prevail over Kerala, Mahe, coastal areas of Saurashtra & Kutch from April 6 to 10; Odisha, West Bengal; Coastal Karnataka, Konkan and Goa over the weekend and over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema during April 7 to 10. Warm nights prevailed in isolated pockets of southeast Madhya Pradesh and Madhya Maharashtra on Friday.

“We are seeing a very early rise in maximum and minimum temperatures over east and peninsular India. This kind of spike is not seen yet over NW India,” a senior IMD official said.

Heatwave conditions are considered when the maximum is over 40°C over the plains; over 37°C over coastal areas and over 30°C over hilly regions and the deviation from normal is between 4.5 and 6.4°C above the average maximum. If these conditions persist for two consecutive days, a heat wave is declared on the second day. Heatwave conditions are considered when the maximum is over 40°C over the plains; over 37°C over coastal areas and above 30°C over hilly regions and the deviation from normal is between 4.5 and 6.4°C above the average maximum. If these conditions persist for two consecutive days, a heat wave is declared.

According to the weather department, light to moderate rainfall or snowfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, was observed at most places over Arunachal Pradesh; at isolated places over sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim; light rainfall/snowfall accompanied with thunderstorms at isolated places over Jammu-Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Light/Moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty wind was observed at a few places over Assam & Meghalaya; Lakshadweep; at isolated places over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.

There is a cyclonic circulation over north Bangladesh and another cyclonic circulation over east Assam & neighbourhood. Under the influence of these systems, widespread light/moderate rainfall/snowfall with isolated thunderstorms and lightning is very likely over Arunachal Pradesh; scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with isolated thunderstorms, lightning & gusty winds (40-50 kmph) over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura during next 7 days. Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Arunachal Pradesh during April 6 to 8 and Assam and Meghalaya on Saturday.

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A trough/wind discontinuity is running from south Chhattisgarh to the Comorin area across interior Karnataka and interior Tamil Nadu in lower tropospheric levels. The low-level anticyclone over the east-central Bay of Bengal is likely to gradually strengthen and move northwestwards towards northwest Bay of Bengal. Under their influence, widespread light/moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds (30-50 kmph) very likely over Jharkhand from April 6 to 10; Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar during April 6 to 8; Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Marathwada during April 6 to 12 and Vidarbha, Madhya Maharashtra, from April 7 to 12.

Hailstorm activity is also very likely at isolated places over Odisha on April 7; East Madhya Pradesh from April 7 to 10; Vidarbha from April 7 to 10; Chhattisgarh and Marathwada from April 7 to 8.