Hyderabad sees its hottest day this March so far, Mercury soars to 40°C: Govt data

Hyderabad: Mercury levels soared to above 40 degrees in parts of Hyderabad on 29 March marking the first highest temperature this summer in the city. Meanwhile, Adilabad recorded the highest maximum temperature for the day in the state at 42.7 degrees.

The Telangana State Development Planning Society, a body that observes weather conditions, released the daily maximum temperatures, indicating rise in degrees. The data shows that Khairatabad in Hyderabad reported 40.1°C.

According to the daily weather bulletin, dry weather is likely to prevail over the state. The maximum temperature is likely to be 2 to 3°C above normal in isolated places of Telangana.

According to the weather forecast, "There is an anti-cyclone circulation over Pakistan and Kutch resulting in hot winds entering central India. These dry winds moving in an anti-clockwise direction will enter Telangana and Andhra Pradesh resulting in rise in temperatures. However, with the change in wind direction, the condition may change towards the month-end."

There are two types of cyclonic condition: cyclone circulation when the wind circulates in a clockwise direction resulting in rise in air and formation of clouds and anti-cyclonic condition when winds circulate in an anti-clock direction resulting in hot air.

Heatstroke deaths

Telangana has reported 1,952 heatstroke deaths between 2008- 2020 and witnessed 256 heat wave condition in a span of 12 years, revealed data provided by the Meteorological center- Hyderabad.

Geographically considered as South India, the state falls in a core heat wave zone of the country. The state is away from a coastal region like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, or Odisha on the left and Kerala and Karnataka on the right. It is mostly covered by the Deccan plateau.

As per the meteorological calendar, Telangana experiences summer between March and May every year. The highest temperature ever recorded was in 1973 where Mercury levels in Bhadrachalam shot up to 48.6 degrees. The record hasn't been broken yet.

The districts that witness high temperatures during summer include Adilabad, Bhadrachalam, Hannamkonda, Hyderabad, Khammam, Mahbub Nagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, and Ramagundam.

Heat wave

The climatological condition 'heat wave' is considered when the actual maximum (day temperature) is above 40 degrees or more. If the departure from the normal is +5 to +6 degrees above (for example 45 or 46 degrees) then the state is experiencing a heat wave.

But, if the departure is above 7 degrees (for example 47 degrees) then it is a severe heat wave condition.

The maximum heat waves have occurred in May, which is also the peak summer month according to the meteorological calendar. In 2010, the state reported 46 heat wave conditions, the highest, followed by 44 in 2019.