April the hottest month in 122 years for northwest, central India: IMD

April broke all records to become the hottest month for northwest and central India in 122 years, with average maximum temperatures hovering between 35.9 and 37.78 degrees Celsius.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) said this was the fourth hottest April on record.

IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said northwest and west central parts of the country including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana will continue to experience above normal temperatures in May as well.

Nights would be warmer in May in most parts of the country, except some regions of south peninsular India, Mohapatra said.

The average temperatures observed pan-India for April was 35.05 degrees, which was the fourth highest in 122 years, he said.

“The average rainfall in May 2022 over the country is most likely to be above normal,” Mohapatra said.

There would be some relief for northwest and northeast India and the extreme southeast peninsula in form of rainfall below normal.

The weather department attributes the soaring temperatures in March and April to “continuously scanty rainfall activity”.

In March, northwest India recorded a deficit in rainfall of around 89 per cent, while the deficit was nearly 83 per cent in April, mainly on account of feeble and dry western disturbances, Mohapatra said.

North India witnessed six western disturbances but they were mostly feeble and moved across the higher parts of the Himalayas, he said, adding the last three western disturbances caused strong winds in parts of Delhi and duststorms over Rajasthan in April.

Northwest, east and western India has been grappling with intense heatwave conditions for the past two weeks with mercury reaching over 47 degree Celsius in some parts.

India recorded its hottest summer last in 2010 when maximum temperature was 2.85 degrees C higher than normal.

(With inputs from agencies)