Pune sizzles at 43.8°C, its hottest ever May day

Pune: Monday turned out to be the hottest day for the city in May as maximum temperatures soared to 43.8°C and 41.6°C in Lohegaon and Shivajinagar, respectively. The city's all-time highest May temperature, 43.3°C, was recorded at Shivajinagar on May 7, 1889, IMD data showsMonday's maximum temperature in Lohegaon was 6.3 degrees above normal, while Shivajinagar recorded a departure of 4.1 degrees. The city is reeling under one of its fiercest May heat spells in recent years. IMD officials said the current spell was likely to persist over the next few days as hot northerly winds continue to enter Maharashtra.IMD scientists attributed the increase in the high day temperatures to a change in wind patterns and the disappearance of weather systems that had earlier brought some moisture into the region."Over the last week, a trough over the region has moved eastward. As a result, the moisture incursion has significantly reduced. This has resulted in clear sky conditions. It means, the sun radiation is high on the earth and there is a spike in day temperatures," IMD Pune scientist S D Sanap told TOI.Moreover, dry northerly winds originating from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are now dominating weather conditions across western Maharashtra. "The winds, carrying hot air into the region, and the clear skies have influenced temperatures over the city," Sanap said.Weather officials expect temperatures in Pune to remain above 40°C for at least the next four to five days.Across Pune, residents experienced intense daytime heat and unusually uncomfortable mornings. Wadgaonsheri registered daytime temperature of 41.2°C, while Magarpatta and Chinchwad hovered around the 41°C-mark on Monday. Hadapsar, too, crossed the 40-degree mark. In contrast, the comparatively greener Pashan region remained cooler.Shivajinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 24.8°C on Monday morning, the season's highest so far and nearly 2.5 degrees higher than the day before. Several eastern suburbs witnessed oppressive overnight warmth. Hadapsar recorded a minimum of 28.7°C.Meteorologists said the elevated minimum temperatures indicated that the region was entering a prolonged hot phase. The IMD has already issued heatwave warnings for parts of Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada for May 12 and 13, while Vidarbha is expected to remain under severe heatwave conditions later this week.On Monday, Akola emerged as the hottest place in Maharashtra with a maximum temperature of 45.1°C. In north Maharashtra, Nashik city experienced a sharp spike in temperatures with the maximum soaring to 42°C, highest in two years. Health complaints are surging as maximum temperatures hover around the 40°C mark in Kolhapur and across south central Maharashtra.