Summer Starts Early In Gujarat: Mercury Soars Above Thirty Five Degrees
Key Takeaways:
- Gujarat is witnessing widespread above-normal temperatures 3–4°C above average.
- Surat recorded the highest temperature above 37°C, while Rajkot led interior heat.
- Temperatures may touch 38°C soon over North and Central Gujarat.
- Nights will remain relatively comfortable until early March.
Entire state of Gujarat has been swept by summer heat across the board. The coastline of South Gujarat has become the hottest, with Surat exceeding the 37°C mark yesterday — the highest so far over the state. In the interiors, Rajkot in Saurashtra was the hottest, recording 36.8°C on February 21 and 36.3°C yesterday. The 35°C mark was crossed at Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surendranagar, Amreli, Rajkot, Mahuva, Kandla, Porbandar and Bhuj. All these temperatures are above average by 3°–4°C. A further rise is likely over the state, more prominently over the interiors and central parts.
Gujarat ranks among the hottest states on the western flank, where the summer season makes an early knock. The state observes two summers — one during the pre-monsoon period and the other after the withdrawal of the Southwest Monsoon. Persistent dry weather conditions and proximity to the Tropic of Cancer possibly lead to extreme heat over the state. The Tropic of Cancer, running along 23°26′N, passes through the state along with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. The axis of the Tropic of Cancer becomes hot twice around the time when the Sun gets positioned over the Equator. The second summer for Gujarat comes in the month of October, after the withdrawal of the monsoon.
There is no active weather system likely over North India, which otherwise sends cooler winds over the state through Rajasthan. The persistent dry spell over the northern plains will share its accumulated heat with the state of Gujarat. Also, the seasonal anticyclone is likely to get displaced and may get positioned over South Rajasthan and North Gujarat at the fag end of February and the start of March. This will trigger hotter winds from across the international border. The moist and warm winds from the Arabian Sea will get arrested for a few days. This will result in a rapid rise in day temperatures over North and Central Gujarat and Saurashtra and Kutch.
Day temperatures are likely to reach 38°C for the first time this season. However, nights will continue to remain in the comfort zone, with temperatures getting restricted to about 20°C or less until the first week of March.
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