Hottest April in parts of India. Will May be warmer?

With a clear sky and rising mercury, temperatures in India are hitting record highs this year.

April was the warmest month than the previous years, affecting even hill stations and other regions that are not usually associated with such intense heat.

But will there be any relief in May?

Looks like, above-normal maximum temperatures will continue to persist in most parts of the country, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Let’s take a look.

High number of heatwave days in May

A significantly high number of heatwave days are expected in May over the northern plains, central region, and adjoining areas of peninsular India, as per IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Wednesday.

The trend of April, which recorded heatwaves far worse than in 2023, is likely to continue this month.

Around eight to 11 heatwave days are predicted over south Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Marathwada in Maharashtra, and Gujarat regions, Mohapatra said.

Three heatwave days are common in Rajasthan, east Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and some parts of Chhattisgarh, interior Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, north interior Karnataka, and Telangana.

However, as per the latest IMD predictions, these regions may record five-seven heatwave days in May.

Above-normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country, except for most parts of northeast India, some parts of northwest and central India, and adjoining areas of northeast peninsular India where normal to below-normal maximum temperatures are likely, the IMD said.

Above-normal minimum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country except the northeast and some areas of northwest India, the Indo-Gangetic plains, and the central region.

Rainfall predicted

Normal rainfall (91–109 per cent of the long-period average) is predicted in India this month, as per PTI which cited IMD.

Normal to above-normal rainfall is likely over most parts of northwest India and some parts of central, peninsular, and northeast India.

The weather agency further stated below-normal precipitation is likely in the remaining parts of the country.

Also read: Why this April has been warmer than previous years

April was the warmest

A prolonged and intense spell of heatwave scorched areas of east, northeast, and southern peninsular India in April. While government agencies issued health warnings, some states were forced to suspend in-person classes in schools .

Five active Western Disturbances led to rain, thunderstorms, and hailstorms over north and central India at regular intervals last month, preventing heatwaves, the IMD’s director general told a press conference.

The heatwaves were divided into two spells – from 5 to 7 April and 15 to 30 April.

The IMD said south peninsular India recorded an average maximum temperature of 31 degrees Celsius in April, the second-highest since 1901.

The mean temperature (28.12 degrees Celsius) in April in east and northeast India was the highest since 1901. The minimum temperature for the regions was also a record high of 22 degrees Celsius, as per The Times of India.

The southern peninsula India has been witnessing above-normal maximum temperatures quite frequently since 1980s, the weather office said. The region recorded 12.6 millimetres of rainfall in April, the fifth lowest since 1901 and the second lowest since 2001.

Mohapatra added the number of heat wave days this April was the highest in 15 years in Gangetic West Bengal and nine years in Odisha.

Odisha also experienced the longest heatwave spell (16 days) last month since 2016.

Also read: Is a near-permanent heatwave coming to the Indian Ocean?

What’s behind the extreme heatwaves

The weather agency attributed the prolonged heatwave spell last month to the absence of thunderstorms and a persisting anticyclone at lower levels over the west-central Bay of Bengal and the adjoining eastern coasts of India.

This caused the sea breeze to cut off over Odisha and West Bengal on most days, Mohapatra said.

Amid the prevailing but weakening El Nino conditions, the IMD had earlier warned of extreme heat during the April-June period, coinciding with the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections.

Hundreds of thousands of voters had to cope with the searing heat when they stepped out to exercise their franchise in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on 26 April.

Polling for 94 constituencies across 12 states will take place on 7 May.

Union Minister for Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju had urged stakeholders to take precautionary measures in advance due to the extreme weather and Lok Sabha elections coinciding, as per TOI.

“It is going to be very challenging for all of us. Since we are the most populous country in the world and face extreme weather conditions, it makes it absolutely necessary for India to prepare in advance,” the minister said at a press conference.

Following a decrease in turnout in the first phase of polling, the Election Commission (EC) set up a task force to review the impact of the heatwave. The task force includes officials of the poll panel, the IMD, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry.

With inputs from PTI