Despite alarming reports of heat waves, India’s national average maximum temperature for March stayed close to normal—and this trend has continued into the early days of April. The contrast between regional extremes and overall stability is explained by a pattern of localised temperature fluctuations across different zones.
While parts of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, western UP, and northeast India consistently experienced above-normal temperatures, most of peninsular India remained cooler. These opposing patterns essentially balanced each other out, keeping the nationwide average steady.
Data from March 21 to April 3 shows how large areas like northwest and central India, as well as Maharashtra, flipped between being warmer and cooler than normal. Eastern states such as Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha also showed this shift—cooler in late March and warmer in early April.
Wind and rain patterns played a major role. Western disturbances brought cool air down from the Himalayas, lowering temperatures in northwestern India. Meanwhile, rainfall triggered by cyclone-like systems and low-pressure troughs brought relief to central, southern, and eastern regions.
Maps from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) confirm this mixed pattern. While India’s average temperature for the week ending March 27 was 0.29°C above normal, the following week it was just 0.07°C higher, thanks to widespread cooling.
Interestingly, IMD forecasts predict a repeat of these trends over the next two weeks—offering more scattered relief from extreme heat across much of the country.
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