States roll out heatwave measures; Assam floods kill one

In Assam, the state disaster management authority said a woman died after falling into a drain at Maligaon Chariali near the Northeast Frontier Railway headquarters amid torrential rains. The state capital witnessed heavy rainfall overnight into Monday, causing knee-deep water on most roads and chest-high water in some areas, with traffic jams, ambulances stuck for hours, and power cuts reported.

The IMD forecast noted that isolated pockets of Gangetic West Bengal would experience hot and humid conditions from April 20–26; Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal from April 20–22; Kerala and Mahe, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam from April 20–24; and coastal Gujarat on April 24–25.

Haryana reported above-normal temperatures with Narnaul recording 42°C; Punjab recorded 41°C in Bathinda, while Chandigarh logged 38.1°C, three notches above normal.

Kota was the hottest place in Rajasthan at 42°C, followed by Barmer (41.8°C), Alwar and Chittorgarh (41.6°C each), Phalodi (41.2°C), Jaisalmer (41.1°C) and Bikaner (40.6°C), with temperatures expected to rise further amid intensifying heat conditions.

In the national capital, the maximum temperature was 39.5°C, 2.7 degrees above the seasonal average, with the minimum at 22.8°C.

Prayagraj recorded the highest temperature in the state at 44.4°C. Other major UP cities reported above-normal heat levels, with Varanasi at 44.0°C and Banda and Sultanpur between 40°C and 43°C. Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Agra and Aligarh also logged maximum temperatures in the 40–43°C range.

The India Meteorological Department said isolated pockets of Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, East Rajasthan, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, West Uttar Pradesh, West Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and scattered pockets of East Uttar Pradesh are expected to witness heatwave conditions on dates between April 20 and April 25. The IMD also forecast moderate to intense thunderstorm activity over different states of south, central, east and northwest India on Monday.

As heatwave conditions were forecast for parts of northwest, north and central India over the next four to five days, the Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand governments announced measures to mitigate the impact. Plans include meeting a peak electricity demand around 34,500 MW with all thermal power plants operating at full capacity; a temporary halt on replacement of old meters with smart meters; sprinkling water on roads; setting up shaded areas; health check-up camps at industrial and construction sites; ensuring treatment facilities for heatstroke patients in hospitals; free drinking water at tehsils, farms, hospitals and anganwadi centers; and steps to protect livestock and wildlife, including heat action plans in zoos and sanctuaries.