As March 3 begins, India is experiencing an unusual spike in temperatures, with the India Meteorological Department warning that maximum temperatures across northwest India are running four to six degrees Celsius above normal.
Most parts of the country are set for a dry and increasingly hot week. However, a weak western disturbance is moving toward the northern mountains, bringing the possibility of a brief shift in weather conditions.
Heat trends across north and central India
Temperatures are expected to remain three to five degrees Celsius above average in central India through much of the week. Weather analyst Devendra Tripathi noted that although some areas have recently seen a slight dip in temperatures, the overall pattern continues to point toward warming.
A marginal drop was observed in parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, but the broader trend remains elevated.
According to private forecaster Skymet Weather, Delhi has just recorded its warmest February in three years, along with a rainfall shortfall of nearly 98 per cent. The lack of pre-monsoon showers suggests that heat levels could intensify further as Holi approaches.
Snow prospects in the mountains
While the plains heat up, higher elevations in Jammu and Kashmir may see light rain or snowfall between March 4 and 8 due to the approaching western disturbance.
Forecasts indicate that the first system, arriving late on March 3, will largely affect areas above 10,000 feet. A second, slightly stronger system could bring more noticeable weather activity to Srinagar and Manali later in the week.
The IMD expects similar precipitation in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand by around March 8.
Conditions in southern India
Across southern India, weather conditions are largely stable. However, increasing humidity along coastal regions may push up the “feels-like” temperature, even if actual readings remain steady.
With little rainfall forecast for the plains, forecasters say solar heating will continue to drive daytime temperatures higher in the days ahead.
