Warm, dry spell continues in state; Amravati hottest at 35.6 degrees Celsius

As Maharashtra inches closer to the peak summer months of March April and May early signs of rising heat have already begun to surface across the state Daytime temperatures are gradually climbing and afternoons are turning noticeably warmer signalling the seasonal transition from winter to presummer conditionsThe dry air and clear skies are further intensifying the heat during the day even as mornings remain relatively mild in some pockets According to the India Meteorological Department IMD most regions recorded maximum temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius on Wednesday with little to no rainfall indicating the steady onset of warmer and predominantly dry weather across MaharashtraHighest and Lowest temperatures recorded in MaharashtraAmravati emerged as the hottest location recording a maximum temperature of 356 degrees Celsius with 50 per cent humidity Solapur followed at 344 degrees Celsius Ratnagiri at 354 degrees Celsius while the Thane Belapur Industrial Area recorded 340 degrees CelsiusMeanwhile Ahilyanagar recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the state with the mercury dipping to 134 degrees CelsiusMumbai records warm afternoon with moderate humidityIn the Mumbai region Colaba registered a maximum temperature of 322 degrees Celsius with 64 per cent humidity Santacruz recorded a maximum temperature of 336 degrees Celsius Relative humidity stood at 45 per centAlibaug reported 327 degrees Celsius and relatively high humidity at 69 per cent Mahabaleshwar experienced haze with the maximum temperature settling at 260 degrees Celsius as per the IMD dataPune recorded a high of 319 degrees Celsius under clear skies with easterly winds blowing at three knots Nearby Baramati registered 311 degrees Celsius while Satara reported 307 degrees Celsius with low humidity at 28 per centIn Marathwada stations including Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Parbhani Jalna Beed and Dharashiv recorded maximum temperatures ranging between 31 degrees Celsius and 328 degrees Celsius Beed also reported a minimum temperature of 145 degrees CelsiusWestern Maharashtra districts such as Sangli recorded 326 degrees Celsius Kolhapur 310 degrees Celsius and Ahilyanagar 320 degrees Celsius all under dry conditionsHottest regions in Madhya Maharashtra and VidarbhaParts of Madhya Maharashtra and Vidarbha continued to reel under warm conditions with several districts recording high day temperaturesAhilyanagar recorded a maximum temperature of 320 degrees Celsius while the minimum dropped to 134 degrees CelsiusIn Vidarbha Amravati emerged as one of the hotter locations registering a high of 356 degrees Celsius and a low of 153 degrees CelsiusBramhapuri also reported elevated temperatures with the mercury touching 354 degrees Celsius and settling at a minimum of 156 degrees CelsiusDahanu records humid conditions along Konkan coastAlong the Konkan coast Dahanu recorded 299 degrees Celsius with 71 per cent humidity while Harnai reported 298 degrees Celsius along with thick haze and cirrus cloud coverIn northern Maharashtra Nandurbar recorded 327 degrees Celsius and Jalgaon 333 degrees Celsius with warm and humid conditions prevailingAQI across MaharashtraThane ndash 102Navi Mumbai ndash 118Mumbai120Dhule ndash 128Jalgaon ndash 115Nanded ndash 136Sangli ndash 123Amravati ndash 122Akola ndash 94Nashik ndash 101Nagpur ndash 172Latur ndash 84Solapur ndash 100Kolhapur ndash 101Delhi air quality worsens to 301 AQI in poor categoryMeanwhile the air quality in the national capital deteriorated on Wednesday with the Air Quality Index AQI rising to 301 placing it in the poor category according to the Central Pollution Control Board CPCB Several areas of Delhi are now witnessing a layer of smog raising concerns among residents especially those with respiratory issuesAreas around India Gate and Kartavya Path recorded AQI readings of 355 while Bawana recorded 313 The AQI of Akshardham Temple reported 325 classified as very poorThe minimum temperature at Safdarjung settled at 132 degrees Celsius three notches above normalThe maximum temperature is expected to hover around 26 degrees Celsius with mist likely during the day