While March usually whispers the arrival of spring, this year it is shouting. India is currently witnessing a dramatic spike in mercury levels, with several regions already recording temperatures three to five degrees Celsius above the seasonal average.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this warming trend is set to intensify starting Sunday, March 1, as the country transitions into a particularly harsh hot weather season.
In parts of Northwest and Central India, the maximum temperatures have already climbed into the 34 to 37 degrees Celsius range.
Independent weather expert Navdeep Dahiya and Skymet Weather note that the absence of active western disturbances, which usually provide cooling rainfall, has left the plains vulnerable to early heating.
This lack of precipitation, combined with a strengthening anti-cyclonic circulation over Western India, is essentially acting as a heat trap.
HOW HOT WILL IT BE IN INDIA IN MARCH?
This year, March 1 will feel significantly warmer than usual for the first day of March.
Residents in Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab should prepare for maximum temperatures hovering between 34 and 36 degrees Celsius.
Further west and south, the heat is even more aggressive.
Skymet Weather suggests that parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan could see the mercury nudge closer to the 40 degrees Celsius mark within the coming days.
The IMD confirms that while some parts of the Western Himalayan region might see a feeble disturbance later in the week, there is no immediate relief for the scorching plains on Sunday.
WHY IS MARCH GOING TO BE WARMER THAN NORMAL?
The sudden jump in temperatures is linked to a lack of moisture and cloud cover. Without these natural shields, the Sun is heating the ground rapidly.
The IMD seasonal outlook for March to May 2026 indicates that above-normal maximum temperatures are very likely over most parts of the country.
This early onset of summer heat means that by the time Holi arrives, the seasonal anomaly could be as high as five to 10 degrees Celsius above normal in certain pockets.
(With inputs from Ashutosh Mishra)
