Ahmedabad simmers at 43.7°C as Gujarat braces for one last day of heat

Ahmedabad: The relentless heat clamping down on Ahmedabad finally loosened its grip, if only by a fraction, on Thursday. After a gruelling three-day streak of temperatures soaring above the 44°C mark, the city clocked a maximum of 43.7°C.

While it’s a marginal step down from Wednesday’s 44.1°C, the air remains heavy; Thursday’s peak was still 2.1 degrees above the seasonal average. Nightfall offered little sanctuary either, with the mercury hovering at a sticky 29.3°C, keeping the city well above its normal comfort zone. According to India meteorological department (IMD) forecast, the maximum temperature is likely to be in the same range at around 44 degrees on Friday. Residents should keep their umbrellas and electrolytes ready for one more day of intense heat before a reprieve arrives.

Meteorologists are tracking a shift in the skies. The current atmospheric change is driven by upper air cyclonic circulations currently sitting over southeast Madhya Pradesh and southwest Rajasthan. These systems are shifting the regional dynamics, signalling the beginning of the end for the current heatwave.

IMD predicted, “No large change in maximum temperatures during next 24 hours. Gradual fall by 2-4 degrees during subsequent three days. Thereafter no large change very likely over the region. Maximum temperatures very likely to be 41°C-45°C during the next 24 hours and above 40°C during subsequent four days at a few pockets over the state.”

Ahmedabad wasn’t the only city feeling the burn. Across Gujarat, the sun claimed its territory with Bhavnagar taking the crown for the state’s hottest spot at 45.2°C on Thursday, followed by Ahmedabad at 43.7°C, Kandla at 43.2°C, Rajkot at 43.1°C, and Surendranagar at 42.8°C.