India braces for intense summer: Heatwave days to double in several states, says IMD

NEW DELHI: India is set to experience an unusually hot summer from April to June, with heatwave days expected to double in several states, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned on Monday. Central and eastern India, along with the northwestern plains, are likely to see prolonged spells of extreme heat.IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra stated that most parts of the country will witness above-normal maximum temperatures, except for some regions in western and eastern India, where temperatures may remain near normal. Minimum temperatures, however, are predicted to be above average in most regions.”From April to June, north, east, and central India, as well as the plains of northwest India, are expected to see two to four additional heatwave days than usual,” Mohapatra told PTI. Typically, India records four to seven heatwave days in this period.The states expected to witness more intense heatwaves include Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and the northern parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.