Above normal heatwave days in India from April onwards: IMD

India's weather pattern has undergone a drastic shift in March, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to predict above normal heatwave days in several regions from April onwards. 

According to the IMD, most parts of the country will experience above normal maximum temperatures during the hot weather season from April to June, with pockets of northwest India and the southern peninsular experiencing normal to below normal maximum temperatures. 

IMD's bulletin for the weather outlook for April to June

The IMD has issued a bulletin for the weather outlook for April to June, predicting above normal heatwave days in central India, east India, and northwest India during these months. 

In April, as many as 10 states, including Bihar, Jharkhand, and Gujarat, are likely to experience such drastic temperature shifts. However, except for pockets of northwest, central, and east India, the rest of the country is expected to record normal to below normal monthly minimum temperatures. 

Average rainfall in April

Average rainfall in April is expected to be normal across the country, with normal to above normal rainfall expected over most parts of northwest, central, and peninsular India, and below normal rainfall expected over east and northeast India and pockets of the west coast.

The heatwave warning for the hot weather season is due to the radical temperature shifts recorded in March, which was cooler than normal in the later half of the month due to western disturbances, making it one of the top ten coldest March in the past 73 years, despite IMD's earlier prediction of warmer than usual temperatures.