India is expected to witness sharply contrasting weather conditions on Monday, March 9, as rising temperatures trigger heatwave alerts in parts of northwest India while rain and snowfall are forecast for the Himalayan region.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi is likely to experience a warm and partly cloudy day with the maximum temperature reaching between 34°C and 36°C significantly above the seasonal average for early March. Minimum temperatures are expected to remain between 16°C and 18°C.
Meteorologists said temperatures across the plains of northwest India are currently three to five degrees Celsius above normal. Hill states such as Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are experiencing even higher deviations, with temperatures recorded five to eight degrees above normal levels.
Heatwave Alerts Issued Across Several Regions
The IMD has issued heatwave to severe heatwave warnings for parts of Himachal Pradesh, an unusual development for the hill state during early March. Similar alerts have been issued for Vidarbha in Maharashtra, where high temperatures are expected to persist until March 12.
Other regions under heatwave warnings include West Rajasthan and the coastal regions of Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat. Meanwhile, North Gujarat is also likely to experience intense heat on Monday and Tuesday, with hot and humid conditions forecast along parts of the state’s coastline.
The IMD has advised residents in affected areas to avoid prolonged exposure to the afternoon sun, wear light cotton clothing, cover their heads while outdoors and stay well hydrated.
While the plains grapple with unusually warm temperatures, the western Himalayan region is preparing for a fresh spell of rain and snowfall due to an incoming Western Disturbance.
The weather system is expected to bring isolated light rainfall and snowfall to parts of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30 to 50 kilometres per hour.
Weather activity is forecast to intensify between March 10 and March 12, when scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rain and snowfall could occur across the region. Conditions are expected to gradually ease between March 13 and March 14.
In addition, isolated snowfall is likely in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh from Tuesday onward as the weather system moves across the western Himalayan belt.
Experts say the unusual temperature patterns highlight the increasing variability in seasonal weather conditions across India, with heatwave-like conditions appearing earlier than usual in several northern states.