With temperatures inching close to the 45°C mark in certain areas, residents across several South Indian states are grappling with sweltering conditions. As the mercury climbs to a blistering 42-44°C range in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, meteorological departments are predicting further heatwaves before a reprieve in the latter half of the week.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heatwaves are expected to hit pockets of Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema, and Telangana on April 8, and North Interior Karnataka until April 9.
While warm nights are forecasted for North Interior Karnataka on Monday and Tuesday, Coastal Karnataka is set to experience hot and humid weather until Wednesday. Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala, and Mahe will also face similar conditions until Friday, followed by Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, and Rayalaseem from Tuesday to Friday.
Thankfully, a trough extending from Andhra to Tamil Nadu will bring some relief in the form of light to moderate showers across Coastal Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Yanam, Telangana, Kerala, Mahe, Puducherry, and Karaikal from April 8 to April 14. Thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds may accompany these showers in some areas during this period.
Major cities in South India can expect moderate thundershowers in Thiruvananthapuram until Tuesday, sporadic rain in Bengaluru from Tuesday to Wednesday, and possible precipitation or dust storms in Hyderabad from April 11 to April 14. Chennai, however, is likely to experience dry weather throughout the week.
In response to these forecasts, the IMD has issued an orange alert (indicating ‘be prepared’) for North Interior Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra on Monday, along with yellow watches (signifying ‘be updated’) for Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Yellow watches will continue over these regions from Tuesday to Friday.
Despite April not typically being a rainy period for South India, the region is facing significant water scarcity as rainfall has been scarce. IMD data shows ‘large deficiencies’ in rainfall across all subdivisions so far this month.
