Extra hot summer ahead, heatwave days likely in many states: IMD

India is expected to experience summer temperatures hotter than usual from April to June, with more heatwave days in central and eastern India and in the north-western plains, the IMD has said on Monday, 31 March.

Most parts of the country will see higher-than-normal maximum temperatures, except for some areas in western and eastern India where the temperatures are expected to stay normal.

Minimum temperatures will also be above normal in most regions, India Meteorological Department (IMD) chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said in an online press conference.

"From April to June, most parts of north and east India, central India and the plains of north-west India are expected to experience 2–4 more heatwave days than normal," he said.

Usually, India records 4–7 heatwave days from April to June.

An IMD official had earlier said that north-west India might face double the number of heatwave days during the summer. The region normally experiences 5-6 heatwave days during the season.

States likely to see above-normal heatwave days 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.

In April, most parts of India will likely witness higher-than-usual maximum temperatures. However, some areas in the extreme southern and the north-western regions may still experience normal temperatures.

Minimum temperatures will be higher than usual across most of the country, except for a few places in the north-west and the north-east, where temperatures may be normal or slightly below normal, Mohapatra said.

Experts have warned that India should prepare for a peak electricity demand growth of 9–10 per cent this summer, with the country expected to experience a higher number of heatwave days.

Last year, the all-India peak electricity demand crossed 250 gigawatts (GW) on 30 May — 6.3 per cent higher than projections.

Climate change-induced heat stress is one of the key factors driving electricity demand.