Severe heatwave conditions have begun sweeping across eastern and western India unusually early in the season, with temperatures exceeding 40°C in several regions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned on Saturday.
At least last year, the first such severe heatwave conditions were recorded only in early April.
Areas experiencing heatwave to severe heatwave conditions include Vidarbha, Madhya Maharashtra, Odisha, Saurashtra, Kutch, Telangana, and Rayalaseema, with Jharsuguda in Odisha recording the country’s highest temperature at 41.8°C on Friday. On Saturday, the highest temperature across the country was recorded at Boudh in Odisha at 42.5°C.
“It is still early for severe heat wave episodes. But occasionally in some years we see such patterns in March. Otherwise, it is normally seen in April and May,” a senior IMD official said, noting that last year the first severe heatwave was recorded on April 5, 2024, in Odisha.
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In the Capital, Safdarjung recorded a maximum of 36.2°C on Friday, a whopping 7.5 degrees above normal for this time of the year. A spell of rain later in the evening however brought down temperatures, with Saturday recording a peak of 33°C, which was 4.1 degrees above normal.
The unseasonable heat is primarily being caused by “a big high [high-pressure area] over central India which is causing subsidence of hot air,” the official explained. “There are clear skies so solar radiation is also high. For example, in coastal AP, Odisha etc., if winds are opposing sea breeze it can lead to heat wave and severe heat wave conditions.”
IMD has warned that heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are likely to continue over Odisha till March 18 and over Saurashtra and Kutch till March 17. Heatwave conditions are also expected over Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, and north Telangana on March 16, and North Interior Karnataka on March 18 and 19.
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The hot conditions follow what was already the warmest February in India since record-keeping began in 1901, coming after January had registered as the second warmest on record. This aligns with global patterns, as February marked the 19th month in the last 20 in which global average surface air temperatures exceeded the critical 1.5-degree threshold.
Maximum temperatures are currently in the range of 40-42°C over many places in Vidarbha and at isolated locations across Madhya Maharashtra, Odisha, Saurashtra, Kutch, Telangana, and Rayalaseema. Temperatures between 38-40°C have been recorded over many places in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, and at a few places over Chhattisgarh, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Yanam.
Current temperatures are markedly above normal (5.1°C or more) at isolated places over West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, and Gangetic West Bengal. Appreciably above-normal temperatures (3.1°C to 5°C) are being recorded at most places over West Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat; at many places in East Uttar Pradesh, East Rajasthan, East Madhya Pradesh, and Marathwada; and at a few places over Madhya Maharashtra.
Warm night conditions are also likely to prevail in isolated pockets over Odisha until March 18, while hot and humid conditions are expected in isolated pockets over Kerala, Mahe, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Yanam on March 16, and over Saurashtra and Kutch until March 19.
Not all regions are experiencing the heat surge. Temperatures remain markedly below normal (5.1°C or less) in a few places over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and Mahe.
The current heatwave conditions align with the IMD’s long-range forecast issued on February 28, which predicted above-normal maximum temperatures over most parts of the country from March to May, except over southern parts of Peninsular India and isolated pockets of Northeast India. The forecast also anticipated above-normal minimum temperatures across most of the country during this period.
While parts of the country grapple with extreme heat, other regions are experiencing contrasting weather conditions. The IMD has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by hail and gusty winds over Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Isolated heavy rainfall or snowfall is likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, and over Uttarakhand on Sunday. Northeast India is also expected to experience thunderstorms with hail and gusty winds, with isolated heavy rainfall or snowfall forecast for Arunachal Pradesh during the next 4-5 days.
These early and severe heatwave conditions follow a winter season that saw Delhi recording its warmest February night in 74 years last month, when minimum temperatures soared to 19.5°C—seven degrees above normal. Experts have pointed to changing climate patterns contributing to these temperature anomalies across the country.