New Delhi: India is expected to experience hotter-than-usual temperatures from April to June, with more heatwave days in central and eastern India and the northwestern plains, the IMD said on Monday.Most parts of the country will see higher-than-normal maximum temperatures, except for some areas in western and eastern India where the temperatures are expected to be normal. Minimum temperatures will also be above normal in most regions, India Meteorological Department (IMD) chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said in an online press conference.”From April to June, most parts of north and east India, central India, and the plains of northwest India are expected to experience two to four more heatwave days than normal,” he said.Usually, India records four to seven heatwave days from April to June.States likely to see above-normal heatwave days include Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and the northern parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.Some states, including eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, are expected to have 10 to 11 heatwave days during this period, Mohapatra said.In April, most parts of India will likely witness higher-than-usual maximum temperatures. However, some areas in the extreme southern and the northwestern regions may experience normal temperatures.Minimum temperatures will be higher than usual across most of the country, except for a few places in the northwest and the northeast where temperatures may be normal or slightly below normal, the IMD chief said.Last week, the central government asked states to check if their hospitals were ready to handle heatstroke and heat-related illnesses amid a rise in temperatures.India experienced an exceptionally harsh summer last year, recording 536 heatwave days, the highest in 14 years, according to the IMD.Official data showed that India recorded 41,789 suspected heat stroke cases and 143 heat-related deaths during one of its hottest and longest heat waves.Experts have said India might be undercounting heat-related deaths due to lack of robust data.The heat wave arrived much earlier in 2025 than last year. In 2024, India reported its first heat wave in Odisha on April 5 but parts of the Konkan and coastal Karnataka experienced heat waves as early as February 27-28 this year.Experts have warned that India should prepare for a peak electricity demand growth of 9 to 10 per cent this summer season, with the country expected to experience a higher number of heatwave days.Last year, the all-India peak electricity demand crossed 250 gigawatts on May 30 — 6.3 per cent higher than projections.Climate change-induced heat stress is one of the key factors driving electricity demand.The country is expected to receive normal rainfall in April at 88 to 112 per cent of the long-term average of 39.2 mm, the IMD said.Many areas in northwest, northeast, west-central and peninsular India may get normal to above-normal rainfall.Mohapatra also warned that landslides could occur in parts of Kerala and Karnataka in the Western Ghats and that northeastern states might face flooding in April.
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