Above normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country in May and a significantly high number of heat wave days are expected over northern plains, central region and adjoining areas of peninsular India, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Wednesday.

Around 8-11 heat wave days are likely over south Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Marathwada and Gujarat region in May, India Meteorological Department's Director General Mohapatra told a press conference.

The remaining parts of Rajasthan, east Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and some parts of Chhattisgarh, interior Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, north interior Karnataka and Telangana may record five-seven heat wave days in the month, he said.

Normally, northern plains, central India and adjoining areas of peninsular India experience around three days of heat wave in May.

Above normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country in May, except most parts of northeast India, some parts of northwest and central India and adjoining areas of northeast peninsular India where normal to below normal maximum temperatures are likely, the IMD said.

Mohapatra attributed the prolonged heat wave spell over east, south peninsular India in April to the absence of thunderstorms and a persisting anticyclone at lower levels over the west central Bay of Bengal and the adjoining eastern coasts of India.

This caused sea breeze to cut off over Odisha and West Bengal on most days, he said.

The IMD said south peninsular India recorded an average maximum temperature of 31 degrees Celsius in April which was the second highest since 1901.

The average minimum temperature (22 degrees Celsius) in April in east and northeast India was the highest since 1901, the weather office said.

The IMD chief said above normal maximum temperatures are becoming frequent over south peninsular India since 1980s.

He said the number of heat wave days this April were the highest in 15 years in Gangetic West Bengal and nine years in Odisha.

Odisha also experienced the longest heat wave spell (16 days) in April since 2016.

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