• By Nidhi Giri
  • Wed, 26 Feb 2025 07:42 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Weather Alert: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heatwave in pockets of the Konkan, coastal Karnataka and North Kerala. India recorded the highest temperature across the country’s plains as the Kannur Airport in Kerala touched 40.4 degrees Celsius on Monday. Meanwhile, parts of India have begun recording temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius for the first time this year, signalling an early onset of summer-like conditions. In 2023, Gujarat’s Bhuj recorded 40.4 degrees on February 16 – such temperatures are rare for anywhere in the country in the first two months of the year. Rarer still are heatwave conditions in February.

IMD Director General, M Mohapatra explained that parts of the west coast begin heating up first as summer temperatures set in over the country. “Heat propagates south to north. Heating is maximum over the west coast region at the end of February. In March, Gujarat, Odisha etc also start recording heatwaves. There is propagation of heat from this region,” said M Mohapatra.

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Coastal Areas Record Above-Normal Temperatures

On Tuesday, Ratnagiri recorded degrees Celsius, which is 6.9 degrees above normal, while Santa Cruz in Mumbai reached 38.4 degrees Celsius, exceeding normal temperatures by 6.4 degrees. Goa-Panjim registered 37.4 degrees Celsius, nearly 5 degrees above normal, and Honnavara in coastal Karnataka hit 38.5 degrees Celsius, 6 degrees higher than average. Maximum temperatures were markedly above normal (5 degrees or more) in parts of Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, and appreciably above normal (3 to 5 degrees) along many areas of the west coast, as well as in parts of West Rajasthan and Gujarat.

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While parts of the country face heat, northwestern India is expected to receive rainfall due to an approaching western disturbance. A trough in lower to upper tropospheric levels is affecting the Western Himalayan region, likely forming a low-pressure area over West Rajasthan and adjoining Pakistan within the 24 hours.

“We can expect rain in many parts of NW India in the next few days,” Mohapatra added.