India records warmest February in 124 yrs, IMD warns of intense summer
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New Delhi: India experienced its warmest February in 124 years, with temperatures soaring beyond historical records, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported on Friday.
Since the IMD began maintaining weather records in 1901, no February has been as hot as last month. The department highlighted that the country’s average temperature in February rose by 1.34 degrees Celsius—from the normal 20.70 degrees Celsius to 22.04 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature also saw an increase of 1.49 degrees Celsius, rising from the usual 27.58 degrees Celsius to 29.07 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, the all-India average minimum temperature stood at 15.02 degrees Celsius, exceeding the normal 13.82 degrees Celsius. Northern and northwestern regions experienced significantly warmer nights, which also prevented the usual fog formation in the Indo-Gangetic plains.
Looking ahead, the IMD has warned of above-normal temperatures and an increased number of heatwave days between March and May.
"Most parts of India, except the northeast, extreme north, and the southwestern and southern peninsular regions, are expected to witness a higher-than-usual number of heatwave days," said Sivananda Damodara Pai, the IMD's Director General of Meteorology.
States expected to bear the brunt of rising temperatures include Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and northern Karnataka.
With an intensifying summer ahead, authorities and citizens are urged to take necessary precautions against extreme heat conditions.