Overview
- Maximum temperatures in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and nearby plains are running 8–12°C above normal, with Srinagar at 24.7°C (+11.7) and Shimla at 25.2°C (+10).
- The IMD has issued heatwave alerts for Himachal Pradesh, west Rajasthan and Kutch–Saurashtra, and warned of hot conditions in Vidarbha, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and north Tamil Nadu through March 11.
- Several locations in interior Maharashtra crossed 40°C, including Akola at 40.8°C and Amravati at 40.6°C, while many areas in interior Maharashtra, Telangana and Rajasthan ranged between 37°C and 41°C.
- Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to the poor category with a 24-hour AQI near 246, with forecasters indicating a brief improvement before another decline early in the week.
- Meteorologists cite persistent clear skies and few, feeble western disturbances for the spike, and they expect only a temporary dip in temperatures when a new system approaches around March 9–12, largely impacting higher elevations.