2 weeks Ago By Neha Madaan
Pune: The city's maximum temperatures continued to soar above the normal levels on Monday, while Chandrapur in Vidarbha region was the hottest place in the country at a blistering 45.6°C. The mercury in Chandrapur came close to breaking the location's all-time April record of 46.
4°C set on April 30, 1996 — a benchmark unchallenged for nearly 13 decades since temperature recordings began in 1892. Lohegaon and Shivajinagar in the city recorded the day's maximum temperatures at 42°C and 39.9°C, respectively.
In Shivajinagar, the maximum temperature was still 1.7 degrees above normal. As per a local IMD forecast, day temperatures are likely to be as high as 40-42°C in most parts of Pune city till April 27.
Other parts of Maharashtra also sweltered under intense heat. In Madhya Maharashtra, Solapur recorded 43.0°C.
"Hot air advection from northwestern India towards Maharashtra is causing these elevated temperatures," an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said, adding that such advection patterns typically intensified during the pre-monsoon months. The coastal Konkan region found little relief with Mumbai recording 33.4°C.
Solapur recorded 43°C. The searing temperatures in Vidarbha placed the region firmly among India's hottest zones, with Brahmapuri recording 45°C and Amravati hitting 44.6°C.
Akola was not far behind at 44.1°C, while Nagpur experienced a relatively milder 43.6°C.
The current increase in Vidharbha is mainly due to the presence of anticyclonic circulation in the lower and middle tropospheric level. Across other parts of India, intense heat gripped several regions. But, none matched Chandrapur's extreme temperature.
In Odisha, Jharsuguda recorded 45.4°C, while Sidhi in Madhya Pradesh reached 44.5°C.
Other notably hot locations included Adilabad in Telangana (43.8°C), Raipur in Chhattisgarh (43.7°C), and Satna in Madhya Pradesh (43.
6°C). According to IMD forecasts, heatwave conditions are very likely to persist in isolated pockets across several regions. Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha in Maharshtra, and Chhattisgarh will face heatwave conditions till April 25, while east Rajasthan will experience similar conditions until April 26.
Haryana and Odisha are expected to face heatwaves during April 22-25, with Uttar Pradesh seeing such conditions from April 22-26. Punjab (April 23-25), Gangetic West Bengal, and west Rajasthan (April 23-26), along with Bihar and Jharkhand (April 25-26), are also on the heatwave alert list. IMD has further warned that warm night conditions were likely in isolated pockets over Bihar during April 23-26.
Adding to the discomfort, hot and humid weather is expected to prevail over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal, coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam, and Rayalaseema during April 22-25. Marathawada in Maharashtra will experience similar conditions from April 21-24, while Bihar and Jharkhand will face high humidity during April 22-24. Konkan & Goa (April 22-23), Madhya Maharashtra (April 24-25), and Gujarat (April 22-24) are also expected to experience hot and humid weather conditions.
Another IMD official said, "Maximum Temperatures are in the range of 42-45°C over Vidarbha, Marathwada, north Telangana, north and central Chhattisgarh and adjoining interior Odisha and northwest Jharkhand-southwest Bihar, east and northwest Madhya Pradesh, southeast Uttar Pradesh, south Haryana. The temperatures are above normal by 2-4 degrees over Vidarbha, Marathwada, North Telangana, north and central Chhattisgarh and adjoining interior Odisha, among other locations.".
