The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of harsher summer between April and June over north, west and central India. In its seasonal outlook for temperatures during the hot weather season, issued on April 1, the Met department has suggested above normal average temperatures along the meteorological sub-divisions to prevail over a majority regions in the country during these three months. However, heatwaves this year would be normal over the core heatwave zone, giving some respite from the scorching heat experienced during heatwaves.
“North and north-west India will experience warmer than normal temperatures with large-scale rise in maximum temperatures over these regions during April-June,” the forecast stated. Maximum temperatures during the ongoing summer season over Jammu Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh will remain on the higher side of the normal by more than one degree Celsius. At Uttarakhand, west Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan regions, maximum temperatures will swing between 0.5 degree and 1 degree Celsius deviation from normal.
On the contrary, IMD officials also highlighted that the summer season on the whole is expected to remain cooler than what was recorded last year. In the rest of the regions, the IMD stated that maximum temperatures would hover between normal or inch slightly above the normal in eastern and southern peninsular regions.
The day temperatures during this period, will fluctuate between 0.5 degree above or below normal or remain normal for this time of the year. Additionally, minimum temperatures over Punjab, Haryana , Chandigarh, Delhi and Rajasthan will remain above normal while night temperatures will remain in the normal range over Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Madhya Maharashtra.
Sea surface temperature conditions analysis by the IMD suggests continuation of La Nina conditions in the Pacific Ocean. Atmospheric conditions from the oceans suggest weakening of the La Nina. This excess cooling of oceans, known as La Nina, is known to favour Indian summer monsoon.