After a warmer-than-normal temperature was recorded during March, the country may have 2-4 extra days of heatwave during the current summer season from the normal 4-7 days, the India Meteorological Department said Monday.
Addressing a virtual press conference, IMD’s director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said in April, the number of heatwave days is likely to be 3-6 against 1-3 considered normal for the month.
“During April 2025, above-normal number of heatwave days are likely over most parts of east and central India and adjoining peninsular India such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, east Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and northern parts of Karnataka. The intensity of heatwave may be more in eastern states, compared to other parts,” he said.
Relief for south, N-W
During April to June hot weather season, the above-normal number of heatwave days are likely over most parts of the north and east peninsula, central India, eastern region and plains of north-west region, covering Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and northern Karnataka, IMD said in a statement.
On the temperature outlook for April, Mohapatra said above-normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country except some parts of extreme south peninsular India (Tamil Nadu and Kerala) and north-west region, where maximum temperatures are seen to be normal.
He said above-normal minimum temperatures are very likely over most parts of the country except some isolated pockets over north-west and north-east regions which may have normal to below normal minimum temperature during April.
Above-normal maximum temperatures have been predicted over most parts of the country, except some parts of west peninsular India and isolated regions of east-central and eastern regions during April-June period. Mohapatra also said that the rainfall is most likely to be normal (88-112 per cent of long period average of 39.2 mm) during April.
March 33% rain deficient
According to IMD data, the country had received 33 per cent below normal rains whereas the south peninsula is the only region that reported 34 per cent above normal rainfall during March.
Highlighting that IMD will release the first long range forecast of monsoon around April 15, Mohapatra said both the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions may be neutral during the June-September monsoon season. Positive IOD and La Nina conditions help monsoon to spread good rains over India.
He said currently, the ENSO condition is transitioning from weak La Niña to an ENSO-neutral state with above-average SSTs in the eastern and far western Pacific Ocean and below-average SSTs in the central Pacific Ocean. The possibility of emergence of El Nino, which adversely affects monsoon, has also been ruled out in this monsoon season by most of the global models.
According to IMD, when the maximum temperature of two stations in a subdivision reaches at least 40 Degree C or more for plains, 37 Degree C or more for coastal region and 30 Degree C or more for hilly region for two consecutive days, heatwave is declared. On the other hand, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) defines heat wave when the daily maximum temperature exceeds the average (during 1961-1990) maximum temperature by 5 Degree C for more than five consecutive days.
Source link
[ad_3]
[ad_4]