The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said the maximum temperatures in most parts of India are likely to be above normal in May, and that the number of heatwave days will also be higher by about two to eight days.

Rainfall during May 2024, averaged over the country as a whole, is most likely to be normal (91-109% of LPA), the IMD said.

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IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that the number of heatwave days in April reached a 15-year peak in Gangetic West Bengal and a 9-year high in Odisha.

Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are expected to prevail at many places over Gangetic West Bengal and some parts of Odisha and Bihar on May 1 and 2. Besides, isolated pockets of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Jharkhand may experience similar conditions during this period. The intensity is expected to reduce thereafter, with isolated pockets of heatwave conditions in the region during the subsequent 3 days.

Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are very likely to prevail in isolated pockets over Rayalaseema during the next 3 days and heatwave conditions during the subsequent 2 days.

Furthermore, the IMD said that the heatwave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets over Telangana, interior Karnataka, coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam during the next 4-5 days; over Kerala on May 1 and 2, and over Tamil Nadu during May 1 and 3.

In isolated pockets over Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra, Gujarat, heatwave conditions are likely from May 1 to 5, and over the Marathwada region during 3-5 May.

The IMD report further said that the hot and humid weather is very likely to prevail over coastal Karnataka and Kerala & Mahe during the next 5 days, and West Assam on 1 May.

Warm night is very likely to prevail over Chhattisgarh from May 1 to 3; over Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada during May 3-5; and over Odisha & Gangetic West Bengal on 1 & 2 May.

IMD chief Mohapatra further said the prolonged heatwave spell over east and south peninsular India in April was due to the absence of thunderstorms, and persisting anti-cyclone.

“Above normal maximum temperatures are becoming frequent over south peninsular India since the 1980s.”

The average maximum temperature (31 degrees Celsius) in April in south peninsular India was the second highest since 1901. The average minimum temperature (22 degrees Celsius) in April in east and northeast India was the highest since 1901, the IMD said.

Fairly widespread to widespread, light to moderate rainfall/snowfall accompanied by isolated thunderstorms & lightning & gusty winds (30-50 kmph) very likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura during next 5 days with isolated hailstorm over Sikkim on 1st May.

The IMD also said that isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Arunachal Pradesh and Assam & Meghalaya during May 1 and 2 and over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura during May 1-3; with isolated and very heavy rainfall over Arunachal Pradesh on May 1-2 and south Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram & Tripura on May 2.