2 dead as Maharashtra reels under heatwave

Maximum temperature over 40 C in 20 of 36 districts

Parts of Maharashtra were under a grip of intense heatwave, with temperatures hovering above 40 degrees Celsius in Marathwada, Khandesh and Vidarbha regions. Two deaths have been reported because of the heat conditions in these regions. The maximum temperature was over 40 degrees Celsius in more than 20 of the 36 districts in the state.

A 14-year-old from Aurangabad district and a 50-year-old woman in Beed district succumbed to extreme heat conditions in the past 24 hours, reports said. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), such heatwave-like conditions would prevail for the next 24 to 48 hours. “For a heatwave, there should be a 4.6 degrees Celsius departure and the temperature should be above 40 degrees Celsius and it should continue for the next day,” an IMD official said. There are chances of rain or thundershowers in parts of northern coastal Konkan, Marathwada and Vidarbha, which may bring relief from the high temperatures. Fishermen along the Konkan-Goa coast and ports have been issued advisory.

The maximum temperature (44 degrees Celsius) was recorded in Akola and Wardha districts of Vidarbha region while North Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar and Jalgaon districts and the powerloom town in Malegaon in Nashik district recorded 43 degrees Celsius. Chandrapur and Nagpur in Vidarbha region also recorded 43 degrees Celsius. During the March end, the temperatures here hovers around 40 degrees Celsius and the deviatons from previous years has been in the range of 1 to 4 degrees Celsius.

Bhira village in Raigad district, adjoining Mumbai, notched a staggering 46.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, but IMD officials suspect some malfunctioning in the temperature recording instruments. In Mumbai, the maximum temperature was around 32 to 33 degrees Celsius while minimum was between 25 and 26 degrees Celsius. However, the humidity had shot up.