Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 21
As heat wave surges across northern, central and western parts of India with some parts recording temperatures as high as 46.4 degrees Celsius, take heart. Good news is that relief over the northwestern plains is close by, thanks to a western disturbance.
According to the IMD’s latest report, a fall of 2 to 3 degree Celsius can be expected in the temperatures from Saturday. There is no heat wave warning from the IMD till April 25, which should bring cheer to the region, which is seeing maximum temperatures soaring markedly above the normal (by 5.1°C or more) in most places, including Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, West Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.
The highest maximum temperature of 46.4 degree Celsius as recorded at Churu (West Rajasthan) on Friday.
This apart, meteorologists say the heating up of north-western parts and formation of a heat low are equally important factors to facilitate the journey of monsoon current across the subcontinent and provide it support.
Therefore, apart from a positive Indian Ocean Dipole this year, which according to the IMD will offset the ill-effects of an expected weak El Nino around mid-monsoon, high temperatures ahead of the season will contribute to the establishment of normal and well-distributed rains across the country
Monsoon is a sea-breeze activity and a well-heated land impact its intensity and flow from sea to land. In other words, more is the heating of the northern, central and western parts, better is the likelihood of well-distributed rains. This means that high temperatures between April and May are favourable for a good monsoon.