IMD warns of heatwave in these regions; Akola hits 40.8degC
Heads up: The IMD has issued a heatwave warning for Vidarbha, Konkan, coastal and central Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and north Tamil Nadu until March 9, 2026, and for Kutch-Saurashtra in Gujarat from March 9-11, 2026.
Akola just hit 40.8 degrees Celsius (making it the hottest spot in India right now), while Amravati and Wardha aren't far behind.
Heatwave expected to last longer this year
These high temperatures aren't going away soon.
IMD says Vidarbha will stay hot for at least five more days and other regions like Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu will feel the heat through March 9, 2026.
Plus, from March to May this year, many states—including Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Odisha—are expected to see up to two weeks more of above-normal heatwave days.
Basically: get ready for a longer and tougher summer than usual.
What does 'heatwave' mean?
IMD uses multiple criteria: an absolute threshold such as about 40 degrees Celsius in the plains (37 degrees Celsius on the coast), or a departure of roughly 4.5-6.4 degrees Celsius above normal; some communications also cite 45 degrees Celsius in the plains as a benchmark.
So yeah, these numbers are serious.