India recorded its first widespread heatwave episode of the year on Wednesday, with severe conditions sweeping across Gujarat’s Saurashtra and Kutch region.
Experts warned that the shrinking window between winter and summer is becoming a pattern driven by climate change.
Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions prevailed at many places over Saurashtra and Kutch and at a few places over the Gujarat region, while isolated heat wave conditions were reported over Vidarbha, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The anti-cyclone over Rajasthan is driving dry and hot winds towards Gujarat, causing subsidence of air over the region, said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, climate and meteorology, at Skymet Weather.
Maximum temperatures were in the range of 38–42°C at many places over Gujarat, West Rajasthan and Vidarbha, at a few places over Madhya Pradesh and Marathwada, and at isolated places over Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
The early onset of heat carries significant implications for India’s power infrastructure, with heat demand expected to surpass last year’s levels, experts said.
Grid India’s Short Term Resource Adequacy Assessment for 2026-27 projects peak demand of over 260 GW between April and June, with summer and early monsoon months — April to July 2026 — identified as the most critical period for system adequacy.
