PUNE: Parts of Maharashtra, especially locations in Vidarbha, were among the hottest places in India on Saturday as above-normal maximum temperatures continue to persist for over a month, taking a severe toll on those without air-conditioners and adequate cooling facilities.
The extended heat spell has been going on since early Feb, with sporadic instances when even night temperatures have been high. These high day temperatures have been coupled with a significant drop in humidity. For instance, in Pune, relative humidity has been in the range of 16-25% during afternoons, making it more uncomfortable.
Experts said the combination of high temperatures and low humidity levels “creates a dangerous situation for the human body”. When humidity is low, sweat evaporates quickly from the skin. This might give a false sense of comfort, but actually accelerates dehydration.
Friday’s data confirmed the continuing trend, with Chandrapur recording a scorching 41.4°C, making it not only the hottest spot in Maharashtra but also among the hottest locations in India. Other stations were not far behind, with Bramhapuri (41.2°C), Solapur (41.1°C), and Wardha (41°C) crossing the 41°-C mark.
Most stations are recording temperatures 3-5 degrees above normal, with Amravati showing a departure of nearly 5 degrees and Wardha 6 degrees above the normal values. The Vidarbha region remains most affected, with seven spots there either touching or crossing the 40°C-mark.
The heat continued on Saturday too. Saturday’s data showed temperatures climbing even higher across Maharashtra, with Chandrapur recording a blistering 42°C, making it the hottest location in the state and among the hottest ones in India. On Saturday, over nine stations across Maharashtra crossed the 40°C-mark — Akola (41.3°C), Wardha (41°C), Chandrapur (42°C), Bramhapuri (40.8°C), Amravati (40.4°C), Nagpur (40.2°C), Solapur (40.3°C), Lohegaon (40.3°C) and Malegaon (40°C).
The Vidarbha region continues to bear the brunt of the heat, with six of its monitoring stations recording temperatures above 40°C. Temperature departures from normal remained significant, with Wardha showing the highest departure at 6 degrees above normal, followed by Chandrapur at 5 degrees, Brahmapuri 4.9 degrees and Akola and Amravati 4.6 degrees above normal.
“Heatwave conditions are likely to prevail in Vidarbha region for the next two days,” said S D Sanap, scientist at IMD Pune. “We, however, do not anticipate heatwave conditions in Madhya Maharashtra, Konkan or Marathwada during this period. There are indications of light rainfall in Marathwada around March 20-21.”
Several locations outside Maharashtra also recorded scorching temperatures on Saturday. In Odisha, Boudh reached 42.5°C, making it the hottest location in the country.
Parts of Odisha experienced similarly extreme heat, with Sambalpur (42.2°C), Jharsuguda (41.8°C), and Angul (41.7°C) registering temperatures well above 40°C. Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh recorded a maximum temperature of 40.5°C.
In Jharkhand, three locations crossed the 40°C threshold, including Chaibasa (41.0°C) and Daltonganj (40.7°C), Telangana’s Adilabad also joined the list at 40.8°C.
Sanap explained that the current weather models were not yet showing clear signals for pre-monsoon showers in Madhya Maharashtra. “We are continuously monitoring the situation. At present, we have not issued any rainfall forecast for Madhya Maharashtra.”
Sanap confirmed that day temperatures had consistently remained above normal since Feb across most parts of Maharashtra. “We expect a marginal relief from the current high temperatures starting Sunday or Monday, though the decrease will likely be modest — around 1-2°Celsius. Some moisture incursion has begun, which could influence weather patterns in the coming days,” he said.
In Pune city, Koregaon Park (40.4°C) was the hottest location on Saturday, followed by Lohegaon. Shivajinagar recorded a day temperature of 38.7°C, but the location can expect a drop to 36-37° C in the coming days because of a forecast of partly cloudy skies in afternoon and evening.
