State of Gujarat has taken a lead to rank 1st for ushering heat wave of pre monsoon season. Saurashtra and Kutch precedes other parts of the state and witnesses blazing heat with mercury climbing to 40°C or more. On the eastern flank, state of Odisha also gets smashed by the seasonal heat, sometime earlier than Gujarat, but not this season. Odisha will also catch up soon and join club of 40’s across interior parts of the state.
Rajkot in Saurashtra and Bhuj in Kutch have been the 1st to breach crucial mark of 40°C. Bhuj, at 40.2°C has recorded highest temperature of the state and also ranks 2nd after Barmer in Rajasthan clocking 40.3°C. Surendranagar, Keshod, Kandla and Naliya missed the magic figure by a whisker and stayed above 39.5°C. Ahmedabad recorded 38.8°C, the highest temperature of this season so far. Even the coastal temperatures at Veraval, Porbandar, Kandla and Surat stayed about 6-7°C above the normal.
Heat wave is considered if maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C or more for plains and the departure from normal becomes 4.5°- 6.4°C. Coastal stations get qualified even at 37°C, with a similar margin from the normal. Heat wave is also announced when the maximum temperature reach or exceed 45°C. The above criteria should be met at least in 2 stations in a sub division for at least 2 consecutive days.
Absence of any significant weather activity over northern mountains and plains has cascading effect over the state of Gujarat. The shift of anticyclone has altered the wind pattern fanning hot winds over most parts. Such soaring and hot conditions are expected to continue and extend further to cover more parts of the state. Central and interior parts covering, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Anand, Patan, Deesa, Palanpur and Mehsana are likely to record heat wave temperatures in the next few days.