Vidarbha sizzles as Amravati and Akola cross 40c

Nagpur: Amravati and Akola emerged as the hottest places in Maharashtra on Thursday as temperatures across the Vidarbha region surged sharply, with both cities crossing the 40°C mark for the first time this season — signalling the onset of intense summer conditions.According to observations released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Amravati recorded the highest maximum temperature in the region at 40.8°C, which was 6.3°C above normal, prompting the declaration of heatwave conditions (Day 1) in the district. Close behind was Akola, which recorded 40.7°C, also experiencing heatwave conditions with a departure of +5.1°C from normal.
Several other districts in Vidarbha reported unusually high temperatures as well. Wardha recorded 40.0°C, which was 4.4°C above normal, while Chandrapur registered 39.2°C (+2.8°C). Yavatmal recorded 39°C, which was 4.5°C above normal, while Nagpur reported a maximum temperature of 38.7°C, around 4.3°C above the seasonal average.Other locations in the region also experienced near-heatwave conditions, with Brahmapuri, Bhandara and Gondia recording temperatures close to 39°C.With dry weather prevailing across Vidarbha and no rainfall recorded in the past 24 hours, meteorological officials warned that temperatures are likely to rise further over the next few days. This could increase the likelihood of heatwave conditions spreading to more districts in the region.