North and West India to battle heatwave in coming days while rain drenches South and East, says IMD scientist

NEW DELHI: With significant regions of India already facing a severe summer , the IMD has alerted northern and western states about impending heatwaves, advising residents to take necessary precautions.

Residents across Rajasthan's arid plains, Delhi's streets and Gujarat's Saurashtra-Kutch area are experiencing elevated temperatures, with forecasts indicating further increases in the coming week, as per weather officials.

IMD Scientist Akhil Srivastava told ANI about Rajasthan's upcoming severe heatwave conditions over the next 4-5 days. "Heatwaves are being reported in Gujarat and Saurashtra-Kutch region, which are expected to continue for the next 5-7 days. Rajasthan will also face severe heatwave conditions over the next 4-5 days, for which an alert has been issued," he said.

Srivastava indicated that Punjab and Haryana might also experience heatwave conditions. "Delhi is currently witnessing temperatures 3 degrees above normal, hovering around 38 to 40 degrees Celsius. There is a possibility of heatwave-like conditions by April 7. A western disturbance is expected to affect the Western Himalayan region between April 8 and 10, possibly leading to thunderstorms, strong winds and rainfall," he added.

IMD on Friday had issued a yellow alert for heatwave until April 8 amid the rising temperatures in New Delhi. The temperatures could reach 42 degrees Celsius by April 7. The city's air quality remains poor, with an index of 219. Warm westerly winds are contributing to the rise in temperature and heatwave conditions.

Meanwhile regarding South India, the scientist Akhil Srivastava noted expected heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the next two days. "Heavy isolated rainfall is expected in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and south interior Karnataka over the next two days. From April 7 or 8, eastern parts of India may experience thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds," he said.

Chennai experienced rainfall earlier in the day. The IMD's regional centre issued alerts for rain, light thunderstorms, and lightning across various Tamil Nadu districts. Tiruppur district experienced waterlogging in residential areas due to heavy rainfall on Friday night. Municipal workers were tasked with water drainage operations.

IMD data shows Tiruppur North received 11 centimetres of rainfall, while Kozhiporvilai station in Kanyakumari recorded 19 cm. Nambiyur in Erode district, Coimbatore AP, and Sulur stations in Coimbatore district each recorded 8 cm while Kavundapadi in Erode, Kil Kotagiri Estate in Nilgiris, and Sothuparai in Theni each received 9 cm rainfall. Ramanathapuram district received 7 cm rainfall, Kadaladi recorded 5 cm, Mudukulatur and Mandapam received 2 cm each, whilst Tondi and Pamban recorded 1 cm each.

The IMD has dismissed El Nino concerns for the upcoming monsoon but predicts an exceptionally hot summer. Forecasts suggest above-normal temperatures and increased heatwave days across numerous regions from April to June 2025. "We are not expecting El Nino conditions during the monsoon season. April- June to be hotter than usual, with more heatwave days likely in many states," said IMD Director General Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra.

The outlook indicates above-normal maximum temperatures across most of India, excluding parts of west peninsular India, east-central India, and eastern India. Above-normal minimum temperatures are anticipated across most areas.

States expected to face increased heatwave days from April to June include Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and northern Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.