Nagpur, India: Vidarbha is reeling under intense heat, with Akola recording the highest temperature in Maharashtra on Monday at a sweltering 44.2°C. The scorching conditions mark the beginning of a severe summer spell in the region, as predicted by the Regional Meteorological Centre.

Brahmapuri followed closely with 43.8°C, while Chandrapur and Amravati registered 43.6°C each. In Nagpur, the mercury climbed slightly to 42.4°C, up from 42.2°C the previous day.

Out of the 11 districts in Vidarbha, seven reported maximum temperatures above 42°C, and the remaining four crossed the 40°C mark. A consistent rise of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius has been noted across all districts—making it the hottest spell of the season so far.

Daytime temperatures across Vidarbha (°C):

• Wardha – 42.0

• Washim – 42.2

• Yavatmal – 42.0

• Gadchiroli – 41.0

• Gondia – 40.6

• Buldhana – 40.4

• Bhandara – 40.2

Minimum temperatures ranged from 20.8°C in Nagpur and Gondia to 25.6°C in Buldhana. In Nagpur, relative humidity was 41% in the morning, dropping to 22% by evening.

The Meteorological Centre has issued a heatwave alert for parts of Vidarbha for Tuesday and Wednesday, urging residents to take precautions and avoid exposure to direct sunlight during peak hours. No alert has been issued for Thursday, but isolated thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds (30–45 km/h) are expected on Friday.

Looking ahead, a further rise in daytime temperatures by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius is likely over the next three days across Maharashtra. Other parts of the country, including Saurashtra (Gujarat), East Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh, are also grappling with similar heatwave conditions.