The searing heat wave gripping northwest, central, and eastern India is expected to ease over the next three days as rain showers are forecasted in these regions, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). On Sunday, maximum temperatures dropped significantly by 3-4 degrees Celsius (°C) in parts of East Madhya Pradesh, by 2-3°C in interior Odisha, Vidarbha, and Punjab, and by 1-2 degrees Celsius in Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh, and East Rajasthan.
Tamil Nadu, particularly Karur and surrounding areas in Thoothukudi district, saw heavy rains on June 3, providing much-needed relief from the intense heat. The downpour led to severe waterlogging in various regions. The IMD has issued a red alert for several districts, including Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Tenkasi, expecting extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 204.4 mm.
Despite a slight temperature dip, the heat remained oppressive, with maximum temperatures between 43-45°C in parts of north Rajasthan, south Haryana, and north and southeast Madhya Pradesh, and 41-43°C in many areas of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, south Rajasthan, west Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Telangana, and south interior Odisha.
In Delhi, the Safdarjung weather station recorded a high of 42.8°C, 2.8 degrees above the seasonal average, and a low of 30.4°C, 3.5 degrees above average. Thunderstorms with rain are expected in the capital on June 3 and 4, with temperatures predicted to hit 45°C during the day and 30°C at night.
Rajasthan experienced light rain with thundershowers, and more light to moderate rain is anticipated in parts of Bikaner, Jaipur, Bharatpur, Ajmer, and Jodhpur. Jaipur's Meteorological Department Director Radheshyam Sharma mentioned that maximum temperatures are expected to stay below 45°C in the coming days, bringing relief from the heatwave.
Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur recorded the highest temperature in the country at 46.2°C. Sirsa in Haryana and Ganganagar in Rajasthan followed closely at 45.4°C, with Jhansi and Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh recording 45.2 degrees each. Prithvipur in Madhya Pradesh and Bhiwani in Haryana also saw highs of 45.1 degrees.
Hot and humid conditions are likely to persist in isolated areas of Bihar from June 2-4, isolated heavy rainfall also very likely over Bihar on 2nd June, Konkan and Goa from June 2-3, and Odisha from June 5-6, according to the IMD. Meanwhile, Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner reported 20 confirmed heatstroke deaths out of 99 cases over the past three days, with 26 heatstroke cases confirmed out of 141 total cases this season.
