Usually, India records four to seven heatwave days from April to June. An IMD official had earlier said northwest India might face double the number of heatwave days during the summer.The region normally experiences five to six heatwave days during the season.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.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, Mohapatra said.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 (GW) on May 30 — 6.3 per cent higher than projections.Climate change-induced heat stress is one of the key factors driving electricity demand.
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