AHMEDABAD: Mercury reached 43 degrees celsius on Sunday in the city, which was a 3-degree rise from 40 degrees recorded on Thursday. Overall, it was 4 degrees higher than normal. At 24.5 degrees, the minimum temperature was 1.3 degrees higher than normal.
According to the forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature on Monday is likely to be in the same range. The forecast mentioned, “Rise in maximum temperatures by about 2 degrees during the next two days, no large change during the subsequent two days. Thereafter, fall by 2-4 degrees celsius is very likely over the region.”
The forecast indicated chances of maximum temperatures in the range of 40-44 degrees celsius over parts of Gujarat. In Saurashtra and Kutch, severe heatwave conditions are likely to prevail in some pockets on Sunday and Monday, and a heatwave on Tuesday and Wednesday. In the rest of Gujarat, heatwave conditions are likely to prevail till Thursday.
On Monday, a red alert is sounded for Kutch, an orange alert for Porbandar, Rajkot, and Morbi, and a yellow alert for Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Patan, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Surendranagar, and Junagadh.
In Kandla, the maximum temperature reached 45.6 degrees celsius — the highest in Gujarat on Sunday — followed by 44.2 degrees in Surendranagar, 43.9 degrees in Rajkot, 43.3 degrees in Deesa, 43 degrees in Ahmedabad and Bhuj, and 42.5 degrees in Gandhinagar.