Temperature hits 40°C & above by noon at many places in Maharashtra; nights turn uneasy too

PUNE: Several locations in Maharashtra and central India touched 40°C and above as early as 12.30pm on Saturday. Even night temperatures were unusually high, with 3-5° positive departures in Madhya Maharashtra.
In Pune, the minimum temperature ranged between 25°C and 27°C in various locations on Saturday.

Health experts said high minimum temperatures could also contribute to heatstroke. "In some parts of India, night temperatures may remain very high, not allowing the body to cool down and recover from the heat of the day. This can lead to 'nighttime heat stress', which can cause a variety of health issues, including heatstroke," public health expert Dileep Mavlankar from the Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar, told TOI.
He said the day and night temperatures, as reported by the Met department, were generally from instruments placed in relatively cooler locations (airports and greener spots) than the city areas.
"City centres are usually 2-4° hotter than these temperatures due to urban heat-island effect. This is especially true at night when buildings absorb the heat and give it away. At night, people use air conditioners, which is an additional source of heat penetrating in the environs," Mavlankar said.
The health expert said nighttime infrared cityscape photos would often show buildings glowing, which is actually the heat emitted by them. "The authorities should come up with their own weather stations, at least two in each ward, for temperature readings in micro-environments," Mavlankar said.
KS Hosalikar, head of the climate research and services, IMD, Pune, told TOI, "As of 12.30pm on Saturday, the temperature status showed that several areas in parts of Maharashtra and central India were experiencing temperatures of 40°C or higher. It's important to note that the highest temperature of the day had not yet been recorded then. The highest maximum temperature is usually recorded around 2.30pm when the heat is at its maximum. Some stations touched 40°C on Saturday even before that time."
At 12.30pm on Saturday, the temperature in Amravati was at 42.7°C, while the highest maximum temperature for the location was recorded later at 44.6°C.
In Yavatmal, the maximum temperature was 40.1°C at 12.30pm, while its highest day temperature was 43°C. Similarly, the temperature in Parbhani at 12.30pm was 41.7°C, which increased to 44.7°C later in the day.
Nighttime temperatures were very uncomfortable in Pune too on Saturday, with Shivajinagar recording 25.1°C as its minimum temperature, which was above normal by 3°.
Lohegaon's minimum temperature was 25.4°C, above normal by 5°. The night temperature in Magarpatta stood at 27.2°C, followed by Chinchwad at 26.7°C.