Residents of Madhya Pradesh are likely to get a respite from the severe hot weather this week as the temperature has started going down and the mercury is expected to dip further over the next few days, a MeT official said on Monday.

On Saturday, Nowgaon and Khajuraho in Chhatarpur district sizzled at 48 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature at both the places slightly dipped to 47 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

The mercury is expected to go down further from Tuesday. The temperature is likely to fall by two to four degrees Celsius in the next three days, P K Saha, senior meteorologist with the India Meteorological Department's Bhopal office, told PTI.

On the slight change in weather, he said a north-south trough was running from west Uttar Pradesh to south-west Madhya Pradesh which is clouding some parts of the state.

The ongoing heatwave may be in its last leg as the IMD has already announced that the southwest monsoon, considered as the lifeline of India's agri-based economy, is likely to bring the first showers to Kerala by May 27, five days earlier than the normal onset date, he said.

The monsoon is likely to arrive in Madhya Pradesh by mid-June, the official said.

On Sunday, the severe heatwave was observed only in two places - Nowgaon and Khajuraho - in the state and it appears to be abating now, he said.

Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal and Jabalpur on Sunday recorded the maximum temperature of 43.9 degree Celsius (three degrees above normal), Indore 41.4 degrees Celsius (one degree above normal) and Gwalior 46.6 degrees Celsius (five degrees above normal), he said.

Southwest monsoon debuts over Andaman & Nicobar islands

Southwest monsoon has advanced into the Andaman and Nicobar islands on Monday, the India Meteorological Department said here, signalling the start of the four-month seasonal rains that are crucial to the largely agri-dependent economy.

The Andaman and Nicobar islands and adjoining areas have been experiencing rainfall due to strengthening south-westerly winds in the lower tropospheric levels, the weather office said.

"Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of south Bay of Bengal, entire Andaman Sea & Andaman Islands and some parts of east-central Bay of Bengal during next 2-3 days, the IMD said in a statement here.

The presence of cyclonic circulations over Lakshadweep and north Tamil Nadu coast are expected to bring fairly widespread rainfall with isolated thunderstorm/ lightning/gusty winds with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over Kerala, Coastal & South Interior Karnataka during the next five days, it said.

The weather office said isolated heavy rainfall was expected over Tamil Nadu from Monday to Wednesday and over Lakshadweep area over the next two days. It said isolated extremely heavy falls are also likely over coastal & south interior Karnataka on Wednesday.

Last week, the weather office had said that southwest monsoon was expected to reach Kerala by May 27, a good five days before the normal onset date of June 1, under the favourable weather conditions triggered by remnants of Cyclone Asani.