Rain to Ease India Heatwave in North from Weekend

India's early March heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in several regions, is set to ease in northern and northeastern states starting this weekend, as the India Meteorological Department forecasts widespread rain, thunderstorms and snowfall. The unusual warmth, which has pushed daytime highs to 42 degrees Celsius in parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, prompted heat alerts across the country, but a fresh western disturbance is expected to bring relief to Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and the Himalayan belt from March 14 onward.

The meteorological agency attributes the shift to an approaching western disturbance interacting with a wind discontinuity over eastern India, creating unstable conditions. In Delhi and the National Capital Region, including Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram, light rainfall and cloudy skies are anticipated from March 15 to 17, accompanied by thundershowers and winds up to 10 kilometers per hour. Similar weather is projected for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where light rain with thunder, lightning and strong gusts could occur on March 15 and 16. Officials noted that maximum temperatures in these areas, recently...