As the calendar turns to March 3, India finds itself in the grip of an unusual thermal surge.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warns that maximum temperatures will remain four to six degrees Celsius above the seasonal average across northwest India.
While much of the country prepares for a dry and increasingly hot week, a feeble western disturbance is quietly making its way towards the northern peaks, promising a brief change in the atmospheric script.
IS HEAT HERE TO STAY?
The mercury is set to stay significantly higher than normal over central India, with departures of three to five degrees Celsius expected on most days this week.
Devendra Tripathi, founder of Mausam Tak and weather vlogger for Kisan Tak, noted that while some regions recently saw a minor reprieve, the broader trend is one of warming.
Today, there has been a slight drop in temperature in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, the weather expert said.
Meanwhile, Skymet reports that Delhi just concluded its warmest February in three years, with a staggering rainfall deficiency of nearly 98 per cent.
This parched start to the pre-monsoon season suggests that the heat will only intensify as Holi approaches.
WILL THE MOUNTAINS SEE SNOW?
Despite the burgeoning heat in the plains, the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir are preparing for a shift. Under the influence of a feeble western disturbance, light rainfall or snowfall is likely over Jammu and Kashmir between March 4 and 8.
Devendra Tripathi highlighted that these systems are crucial for the region, even if their impact remains localised.
Skymet forecasts suggest that while the first disturbance arriving late on March 3 will be limited to altitudes above 10,000 feet, a stronger second system could bring sharper weather activity to Srinagar and Manali by the weekend.
For now, the IMD predicts that Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will only see similar activity by March 8.
WHAT ABOUT THE SOUTH?
The weather remains largely stable across the southern peninsula, though Skymet indicates that rising humidity in coastal areas could enhance the “feels-like” temperature.
As the seasonal transition accelerates, Devendra Tripathi emphasises that the absence of significant rainfall over the plains is allowing solar heating to dominate the daily forecast.
