Stepping outside on Monday felt like walking into an oven, with the afternoon air burning against the skin. Ahmedabad sizzled at 44°C 2.4 degrees above the normal for this time of year. The minimum temperature was 25.7°C, just slightly below normal. If there was any comfort for Amdavadis, it was that Rajkot was even hotter, topping the charts at 46.2°C. Meanwhile, Surat stayed much cooler at 33.6°C.
Many parts of the state reeled under a heatwave on Monday, with dry weather prevailing and temperatures rising sharply across Saurashtra and Kutch.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), clear skies are expected to continue over Ahmedabad. The relative humidity stood at 48 per cent in the morning, dropping to 22 per cent by evening.
S’rashtra-Kutch on alert
The weather department has issued a yellow alert and a heatwave warning for isolated parts of Rajkot, Surendranagar, Morbi and Kutch districts for Tuesday and Wednesday. Residents are advised to take necessary precautions against the extreme heat.
In addition to the heatwave, coastal areas of South Gujarat and Saurashtra-Kutch are likely to experience hot and humid conditions from Tuesday to May 1.
A hot week
Temperatures across the Gujarat region and Saurashtra-Kutch are expected to remain between 40°C and 45°C until May 1. No major change in daytime temperatures is likely over the next five days. However, a slight drop of two to three degrees is expected after May 2. Dry weather is expected to continue across the state for the next seven days.
Meanwhile, coastal towns like Dwarka, Okha and Veraval experienced much milder weather, with maximum temperatures ranging between 32°C and 35°C. Diu recorded 33°C and Daman 34.2°C.
The dry spell is expected to continue across Gujarat, Diu, Dama, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. The weather is likely to remain steady without major changes until May 7.
Monday’s temperature
Rajkot topped the charts with a searing 46.2°C, followed by Surendranagar at 44.8°C, and Amreli at 44.1°C. Ahmedabad wasn’t far behind, recording 44°C, while Gandhinagar hit 43.2°C. Both Bhuj and Bhavnagar saw 42.2°C, and Deesa reported 41.6°C. Vadodara recorded a slightly lower 40.6°C. On the relatively cooler side, Surat stood at 33.6°C, Daman at 34°C, and Diu at 33°C.