City records highest temperature in April since 2012; heat ascribed to hot winds blowing from Rajasthan and Kutch
Ahmedabad scorched at 44°C on Friday, the highest temperature recorded in April since 2012. IMD, which has issued red and orange alerts for the city, ascribed the heat wave to hot north-westerly winds blowing from Rajasthan.
On Thursday, the city had recorded 43.2°C.
Kandla and Surendranagar remained the hottest places in Gujarat at 44.5°C whereas Amreli recorded 44°C.
Talking to Mirror, IMD Regional Director Manorama Mohanty said, “The hot winds blowing from Rajasthan and Kutch have raised the temperatures. Temperature will fall in a couple of days once the wind direction changes. Winds blowing from over the Arabian Sea will cool down the temperature going ahead.”
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted severe heat wave conditions to prevail over the next couple of days in districts of Ahmedabad, Banaskantha, Patan, Surendranagar, Morbi, Porbandar, Junagadh and Kutch. For Saturday and Sunday no large change is expected in the temperature and thereafter mercury will fall by a couple of degrees. On Friday afternoon, the city wore a deserted look as citizens remained indoors. While many were seen beating the heat by gorging on watermelons, ice creams, sugarcane juice and shikanji.