The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said that a fresh spell of heatwave is likely to begin over northwest India from May 7 and over central India from May 8.
The IMD said that heatwave conditions are predicted over Rajasthan on May 7 to May 9, and over south Haryana, Delhi, southwest Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha region of Maharashtra on May 8 and May 9.
With scanty rains owing to feeble western disturbances, northwest and central India experienced the hottest April in 122 years with average maximum temperature touching 35.9 degrees Celsius and 37.78 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Several places in the country had logged their all-time high temperatures for April as the mercury leaped to 46-47 degrees Celsius under the impact of the torrid heatwave at month-end.
Amid the intense heatwave, India's peak power demand had reached an all-time high of 207.11 GW on Friday.
India saw its warmest March this year since the IMD began keeping records 122 years ago, amid a 71 per cent rain deficit.
A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius and at least 4.5 notches above normal. A severe heatwave is declared if the departure from normal temperature is more than 6.4 notches, according to the IMD.
Based on absolute recorded temperatures, a heatwave is declared when an area logs a maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius. A severe heatwave is declared if the maximum temperature crosses the 47-degree Celsius mark.
