Hot winds, searing afternoons keep Indore under grip of extreme heat

Indore: City witnessed another harsh summer day on Tuesday as hot winds and sharp sunshine kept residents indoors for most of the afternoon. Though the maximum temperature dipped to 42.7 degrees Celsius from Monday’s seasonal high at 44.3 degrees Celsius, weather conditions remained severe across the city.The maximum temperature on Tuesday stayed two degrees above normal, while the minimum settled at 27.6 degrees Celsius, three degrees above average. By 8:30 am, the mercury had already climbed to 32.6 degrees Celsius, signalling an early onset of intense heat. Even at 5:30 pm, the temperature remained high at 40.6 degrees Celsius.Monday was hottest day in May recorded in the past decade. The city had crossed the 44-degree mark for the first time this summer, with harsh sunlight and dry winds making day extremely uncomfortable.Though night temperature recorded a slight decline compared to the previous day, residents continued to experience warm and uneasy conditions after sunset as heat remained trapped in the atmosphere. Westerly and south-westerly winds blew at speeds of up to 35 kilometre per hour during the day.Met officials said no major relief is expected immediately and temperature is likely to remain above 43 degrees through Tuesday. A gradual fall in mercury is expected from Friday onward, with day temperature likely to hover closer to the 40-degree mark in the coming days.The weather department linked the expected change partly to evolving monsoon activity over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Conditions are becoming favourable for further advance of the southwest monsoon over southern regions, while the monsoon is likely to reach Kerala around May 26.Weatherman said if the current trend continues, the city may witness comparatively moderate temperature by May-end and during the initial weeks of June, offering some respite after the prolonged spell of extreme heat.