Rain or thundershowers have lashed isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rayalaseema and interior Karnataka during the 24 hours ending Monday morning, bringing relief from the sweltering heat .
Temperatures soared up to 3 degree Celsius above normal at most places over Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema and Kerala during this period.
The highest maximum of 41.5 degree Celsius over the country was recorded at Kalaburagi ( north interior Karnataka), signalling how the core heating has trained its focus over the South Peninsula.
Highest in Kalaburagi
The persistence of a rain-suppressing, anti-cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal, lack of cooler westerlies from the Arabian Sea, and cloud-less skies have compounded the weather over the region.
These have proved a dangerous mix, especially for Kerala where 118 sun-burn cases and three suspected sunstroke deaths have been reported already during this month.
The rising mercury levels had prompted the Labour Department to issue an order allowing mandatory break time for labourers to avoid sunstroke, after dire warnings from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority.
All labourers exposed to sunlight, which could potentially lead to a sunstroke, have been ordered to rest indoors between 11 am and 3 pm during the summer months.
Likely showers
Meanwhile, a change in weather conditions is being indicated from the end of this month and into the first week of April when a seasonal thundershower regime will likely establish over Kerala and into the rest of the south peninsula. On Monday, a trough lay extended from Lakshadweep to South Madhya Maharashtra across North Interior Karnataka, the India Met Department (IMD) said. It is around this formation that the thunderstorms could line up, going forward.
An extended outlook for three days from March 31 to April 1 spoke about the possibility of scattered to fairly widespread rain/thundershowers over the N north-E eastern States, while it would be isolated over the S south peninsular and east India.
Temperatures may start rising over north-west India by 3-4 degree Celsius during the next four days, announcing the transit from winter. This will coincide with a likely let-up in heat over the South Peninsula.