Heatwave conditions are sweeping the eastern parts of the country. Bohargora, in East Singhbhum-Jharkhand, was the hottest at 46°C, yesterday. Parts of Gangetic West Bengal were also under scorching heat, for the last 2-3 days. Contiguous parts of Odisha were also annihilated with the blazing sun. Baripada was the hot spot with a maximum of 45.2°C, the hottest over the country, the day before and the marginal dropped to 44.6°C, yesterday. Bankura, Malda, Panagarh, and Purulia were reeling under extreme heat with mercury spiking 5-6°C above the average, amounting to severe heat waves in pockets.
Parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh received light rains in the past 24 hours. Interiors of Odisha, like Malkangiri, Koraput, and Bhawanipatna received light rains. The state capital also had a light sprinkle. These rains do not suffice to provide any major relief. Most of the weather activity happens in the late evening and night. With a clear sky in the morning, the mercury starts climbing, crossing 40°C at most places.
A trough extends from Vidarbha to Tamil Nadu, through the interior parts of the Peninsula. An anticyclone over the Bay of Bengal, off the Andhra-Odisha coast is pumping moist air, deep inland. Along with Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, pre-monsoon activity will extend to Odisha and border areas of West Bengal. The state of Odisha will have scattered rain and thundershowers between the 22nd and 24th of April. The cloud bands will extend to extreme southern parts of Gangetic West Bengal, albeit with very mild weather activity. The temperatures will drop by 2-4°C, providing little relief. Intensity and spread will decrease for Odisha, as well, on 25th April and mostly vacate large parts on the following two days, 26th and 27th April.
Weather activity is expected to reduce over most parts of the country in the fag end of April. Heatwave conditions are likely to build up over many parts, leaving aside, the mountains of north and east. Extreme heat is likely over the central and eastern parts during the last days of April and the start of May.
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