Weather today: Heat wave, warm night alert for Delhi, Haryana as IMD predicts 5°C spike in mercury till 26 April

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a heat wave alert for major parts of the plains of Northwest, Central and East India for 23 April, a day after Odisha's Jharsuguda recorded a maximum temperature of 44.6 °C, followed by Maharashtra's Wardha at 44.2°C. Such weather conditions are likely to prevail over the coming 3 to 4 days.

IMD issued a yellow alert for heatwave in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, predicting extremely high temperatures on 23 April. Meanwhile, an orange heat wave warning has been issued for West Bengal.

Several locations across the country registered maximum temperature 5°C appreciably above normal on Wednesday, including Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Meghalaya, Kerala, Tripura and East Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, in Jammu and Kashmir, the maximum temperature was 5.1°C above normal. The Meteorological Department urged residents of affected areas to stay hydrated, avoid direct sunlight exposure during peak hours and take necessary precautions to protect themselves from heat stroke.

Key regions on heat wave, hot and humid weather and warm night alert

IMD in its latest press release said, “Heat wave conditions very likely in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh & Delhi, on 24th & 25th; West Uttar Pradesh during 23rd & 25th; East Uttar Pradesh during 22nd -26th; Rajasthan during 24th -26th; Madhya Pradesh during 23rd -26th, Vidarbha & Chhattisgarh during 24th -27th; Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar & Jharkhand on 23rd April.”

According to the weather office, hot and humid weather conditions are likely in isolated pockets of Odisha, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam till 26 April. In the Gangetic West Bengal region, similar weather conditions are likely till 25 April.

Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala residents can expect hot and humid weather conditions until 24 April while Gujarat will experience such weather over the next two days as Coastal Karnataka braces for such weather today.

The weather bulletin dated 22 April states, “Warm night conditions very likely to prevail in isolated pockets over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi during 23rd - 25th; Odisha during 24th -26th; Konkan & Goa during 23rd -25th April.”

What does maximum temperature forecast say?

The weather report indicates that Northwest India can expect a gradual rise in maximum temperatures of 3 to 5°C, likely to persist till 26 April, followed by a gradual fall of about 2 to 3°C on 27 and 28 April. Furthermore, IMD suggested a gradual rise in maximum temperatures of 2 to 4 °C, likely over central India until 26 April and no significant change on 27 and 28 April.

“Gradual rise in maximum temperatures by 2-3 °C likely over Maharashtra till 25th April and no significant change during 26th -28th April…. Gradual rise in maximum temperatures by 2-4 °C likely over Northeast India till 23rd and no significant change,” the report added. In the Gujarat region, a gradual rise of 2 to 3°C in maximum temperatures is likely between 24 and 27 April.

While most of India faces extremely high temperatures, isolated heavy rainfall is likely

• in Arunachal Pradesh tomorrow
• in Assam and Meghalaya on 25 April
• in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on 25 and 26 April