Vidarbha was the hottest region in the country on Thursday, with Chandrapur recording a maximum temperature of 45.8°C. Other places in the state where maximum temperatures crossed the 45°-mark on Thursday were Jalgaon (45.6°C), Akola (45.4°C), Brahmapuri (45.2°C) and Wardha (45.1°C).
Even in the state’s cool retreats -- Matheran and Mahabaleshwar -- maximum temperatures soared to 38.2°C and 33°C, respectively. In Mumbai, the maximum temperatures were 37°C and 35.2°C in Santacruz and Colaba, respectively.
The other hot spots in the state were Amravati (44.4°C), Nagpur (44.3°C), Yavatmal (44.7°C), Aurangabad (42.4°C), Nanded (42.8°C), Ahmednagar (44.5°C), Kolhapur (37.6°C), Solapur (43.2°C), Pune (41.8°C) and Nashik (41.1°C).
However, experts have said that a drop in temperature will be observed at the end of the current heatwave due to pre-monsoon activity in north-west India.
According to Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather, “For the next four or five days, the heatwave will continue in parts of Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha and Marathwada; but for places in south Madhya Maharashtra, like Kolhapur and adjoining regions, temperatures will be above normal but not very high. Also, by May 4, pre-monsoon activities will begin in the northwest -- in Rajasthan, Punjab and Delhi. Because the winds are turning from that direction, there will be a cooling effect and, by May 5, temperatures may go down in these regions and also in Maharashtra.”
“Mumbai and some nearby regions may witness mild thunderous activity by May 4. May is another hot month and we may witness two or three more heatwaves before we get into the intense pre-monsoon phase by the second week of June,” he added.
