India braces for above normal summer, some relief for the south

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With summer around the corner, the India Meteorological Department in its forecast for March to May said day temperatures are likely to be normal in north, northeast, parts of east and west India.

The weather forecast agency said that there is a likelihood of below-normal temperatures in south and adjoining central India.

“During the upcoming hot weather season (March to May), above normal seasonal maximum (day) temperatures are likely over most of the subdivisions of north, northwest, and northeast India, few subdivisions from eastern and western parts of central India and a few coastal subdivisions of north peninsular India,” the forecast said.

Over the Indo-Gangetic plains — from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, east UP, west UP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand to Odisha — the temperature is expected to be above normal by more than 0.5 degree Celsius during March to May, PTI quoted IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra as saying.

“There is also a 60% probability of above-normal temperature over Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi by 0.5 degree Celsius,” he said.

There is likely to be some relief in parts of south India.

“Below normal seasonal maximum temperatures are likely over most of the subdivisions of south peninsula and adjoining central India,” the summer forecast added.

IMD said above normal seasonal minimum (night) temperatures are likely over most of the of north India along the foothills of Himalayas, northeast India, western part of central India and southern part of peninsular India.

“However, below normal season minimum temperatures are likely over most of the subdivisions of eastern part of the central India and few subdivisions of extreme northern part of the country,” the IMD added.