The spree of record-breaking heat continues in East India. Patna in Bihar recorded 43.6°C on April 27, which is highest temperature for the month in last 10 years. This is just a degree less than the all-time highest of 44.6°C recorded on April 29, 1950. At present, the maximum in Patna is 7 degrees above normal amounting to severe heatwave conditions. Gaya is also experiencing sweltering heat with the maximum at 43.6°C, which is 4 degrees above normal.
Similarly, Ranchi in Jharkhand recorded 42°C which is highest day temperature recorded in April over the last 5 years. The city missed the all-time high of 42.4°C, recorded on April 18, 2010, by a small margin. As of now, steel city Jamshedpur is even hotter with the maximum at 44.1°C.
Several other cities throughout the country are recording all-time high temperatures this April.
We can attribute this unusually high temperature and heatwave conditions to the driest April in last many years. In the absence of pre-Monsoon activities and clear skies, temperatures have risen continuously leading to heatwave conditions across many stations of East, Central and Peninsular India.
In 2015, the strongest El Niño on record resulted in two back to back droughts. The El Niño remains in place and it is taking a huge toll on the pre-Monsoon thundershowers.
Also read, El Niño stress remains, heading gradually towards neutrality
However, we expect that during the first week of May pre-Monsoon activities will start affecting weather in several parts of the country.
Image credit - viewpatna.blogspot.com
