April-June expected to be hotter than usual, more heatwave days likely: IMD

India is expected to have a hotter-than-usual summer this year, with both maximum and minimum temperatures projected to be ‘above normal’ over most parts of the country from April to June. This will be accompanied by a higher number of heatwave days in central and eastern India and the northwestern plains, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.

 

This might not have a major impact on the standing rabi harvest, as most of the major crops have already been harvested. However, late-sown varieties of wheat, particularly in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, could face moisture stress if temperatures rise abnormally in the coming days.

 

The prices of perishable food items could also be affected if temperatures rise unusually high during the summer months.

 

“Usually, in April-June, India experiences four to seven heatwave days, but this year, it will be higher by two to four days and can even go up to 10 days in eastern India,” IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told reporters.

 

For April alone, Mohapatra said that India normally sees one to three heatwave days, but this year, it is expected to be three to six days.

 

States likely to see above-normal heatwave days include Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and the northern parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

 

The Met department also said that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation is expected to remain ‘neutral’ over the next three months and during the monsoon season, with ‘no chance’ of an El Niño developing.

 

“The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is also expected to be ‘neutral’ during the monsoon months,” Mohapatra said, adding that the IMD will release its first long-range forecast for the 2025 monsoon season by mid-April, detailing monsoon predictions.

 

Meanwhile, for April alone, the IMD said that above-normal maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to prevail over most parts of the country, except for extreme northwestern India.

 

Regarding rainfall in April, the IMD said that normal to above-normal rainfall is likely over many parts of northwest India, west-central India, peninsular India, and northeast India. Below-normal rainfall is likely in the rest of the country.

 

The long-period average of rainfall over North India and the country as a whole for April, based on data from 1971-2020, is 39.2 millimetres.

 

Meanwhile, in March 2025, Mohapatra noted that all-India maximum temperatures were the 14th highest since 1901, while minimum temperatures ranked 12th highest, and the mean temperature was the 11th highest.

 

Experts have warned that India should prepare for peak electricity demand growth of 9-10 per cent this summer, as the country is expected to experience more heatwave days.

 

Last year, the all-India peak electricity demand crossed 250 gigawatt on May 30, which was 6.3 per cent higher than projections.

 

Climate change-induced heat stress remains one of the key factors driving electricity demand.