No relief from heat even after sunset as minimum temp rises; Dhar & Ratlam under heatwave alert

Indore: Residents in Indore felt the first strong hints of early summer on Friday as both day and night temperature climbed noticeably, making the weather feel warmer than usual for March.The city recorded a minimum temperature of 18.4 degrees Celsius, nearly two degrees above the normal level. A day earlier, the night temperature was 15.8 degrees Celsius, which was one degree below normal, showing a sharp overnight rise.Heat during the day also strengthened, with the maximum temperature reaching 37.6 degrees Celsius, which is four degrees above normal. The combination of hotter afternoons and warmer nights left many residents feeling the change in season, with evenings that usually offer some relief now remaining relatively warm.The condition was even harsher in some districts. Dhar recorded a maximum temperature of 38.9 degrees Celsius, while Ratlam recorded 39.2 degrees Celsius, placing both among the hottest locations in the state on Friday. In view of rise in temperature, the Met has issued a heatwave alert for Dhar and Ratlam.Weather experts said the current conditions are linked to several atmospheric systems influencing central and northern India. A western disturbance persists in the middle-level tropospheric westerlies. A trough extending from Jharkhand to Vidarbha across Chhattisgarh at around 0.9 km altitude is also shaping weather patterns. A strong subtropical westerly jet stream, with winds reaching nearly 90 knots at about 12.6 km altitude, continues to prevail over north-west India.Met ha forecast a little change in temperature during the next 24 hours. Relief may follow as maximum temperatures are expected to drop by around three to four degrees over the subsequent four days. A fresh western disturbance likely to affect north-west India from March 14 could bring this gradual moderation in temperature.