Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): State is witnessing severe heatwave conditions even before the beginning of Nautapa on May 25.
Several parts of the state, especially the Gwalior-Chambal, Sagar, Rewa and Ujjain divisions, are facing intense heat as temperatures continue to rise sharply.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Bhopal, the heatwave is expected to continue in the coming days, with the temperature likely to remain at peak levels till May 31.
The weather department has issued heatwave alerts in 42 districts for Saturday. Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur and Panna are under red alert for severe heatwave conditions. An orange alert has been issued in 21 districts, including Gwalior, Bhind, Morena, Datia, Sheopur, Guna, Neemuch, Sagar, Damoh, Satna and Rewa.
Yellow alert has been issued in 18 districts, including Bhopal, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Shahdol and Burhanpur, where temperatures are expected to remain between 43 and 45 degrees Celsius.
On Friday, 10 cities in the state recorded temperatures above 44 degrees Celsius. Naugaon in Chhatarpur was the hottest city at 46.8 degrees Celsius, while Khajuraho recorded 46.4 degrees Celsius. Tikamgarh and Satna recorded 44.5 degrees, while Datia recorded 44.4 degrees Celsius.
Among the major cities, Jabalpur was the hottest at 44 degrees Celsius. Gwalior recorded 43.7 degrees, Bhopal 42.2 degrees, Ujjain 42 degrees and Indore 41.4 degrees Celsius.
The IMD said the next four days are expected to remain extremely hot across the state and people are unlikely to get relief anytime soon. Nautapa, considered the hottest phase of summer, will begin from May 25 and is expected to increase temperatures further in cities like Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Ujjain and Jabalpur.
Weather scientist HS Pandey advised people to avoid stepping out between 12 PM and 3 PM unless necessary. He asked people to drink enough water, stay hydrated and wear light cotton clothes. Special care has also been advised for children and elderly people.
The extreme heat is also affecting electronic gadgets like mobile phones, laptops and power banks, which may overheat quickly in high temperatures. Experts warned that overheating can damage batteries, reduce performance and even cause devices to shut down suddenly.
Despite the heat, many cities in Madhya Pradesh have also seen rain during May in previous years due to changing weather systems. Officials said there is still a possibility of rainfall in some parts of the state later this month.
