Heatwave abates in northwest India, 5 days of relief predicted

A fresh western disturbance provided much-needed respite from the oppressive heat in northwest India on Sunday but parts of central India and west Rajasthan continued to reel under a scorching heatwave, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday.

The fresh western disturbance led to rainfall in south Haryana and east Rajasthan on Sunday afternoon, providing relief from the blistering heat in the region. There is no prediction of a heatwave in most parts of the country for the next five days, senior IMD scientist R K Jenamani said.

"Barring some parts of west Rajasthan and the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, no place in the country is likely to see a heatwave in the next five days," he said.

Parts of west Rajasthan recorded a heatwave on Sunday too, with the mercury settling at 47.1 degrees Celsius in Bikaner, 46.9 degrees Celsius in Ganganagar, 46.8 degrees Celsius in Barmer and 46.6 degrees Celsius in Phalodi.

Bramhapuri (46.2 degrees Celsius) and Chandrapur (46 degrees Celsius) in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, and Nowgong (45.5 degrees Celsius), Rajgarh (45.4 degrees Celsius) and Khajuraho (45.4 degrees Celsius) also braved intense heat.

"The maximum temperature is likely to drop by three to four degrees Celsius over many parts of northwest India during the next two days," the IMD said in a statement.

A heatwave is likely in some parts of Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and west Rajasthan on Monday, it said.

Isolated light rainfall along with dust storms, thunderstorms and winds gusting up to 50 kmph are very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan during the next four days, the weather office said.

Due to scanty rains owing to feeble western disturbances, northwest and central India experienced the hottest April in 122 years with the average maximum temperature touching 35.9 degrees Celsius and 37.78 degrees Celsius respectively.

Several places in the country logged all-time high temperatures for April over the last few days as the mercury leaped to 46-47 degrees Celsius under the impact of the torrid heatwave.

Banda in east Uttar Pradesh had logged a record high of 47.4 degrees Celsius for April on Friday.

Allahabad, Jhansi and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Gurugram in Haryana and Satna in Madhya Pradesh had also recorded all-time high temperatures for April at 46.8 degrees Celsius, 46.2 degrees Celsius, 45.1 degrees Celsius, 45.9 degrees Celsius and 45.3 degrees Celsius respectively on Friday.

At 43.5 degrees Celsius, Delhi saw its highest maximum temperature for a day in April in 12 years on Thursday and Friday.

On Saturday, Delhi's Sports Complex weather station recorded a maximum temperature of 47.1 degrees Celsius.

Amid the intense heatwave, India's peak power demand reached an all-time high of 207.11 GW on Friday.

A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius and at least 4.5 notches above normal. A severe heatwave is declared if the departure from normal temperature is more than 6.4 notches, according to the IMD.

Based on absolute recorded temperatures, a heatwave is declared when an area logs a maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius.

A severe heatwave is declared if the maximum temperature crosses the 47-degree Celsius mark.

India saw its warmest March this year since the IMD began keeping records 122 years ago, amid a 71 per cent rain deficit.