Ahmedabad: After a month of unusually cool and rainy weather, summer returned to Ahmedabad on Saturday with little warning, pushing the maximum temperature to 40.2°C, 0.8 degree higher than normal. The city had last seen the mercury this high exactly a month ago on March 11, when it had touched 41.2°C. The heat, arriving after a long gap, felt sharper than expected, say residents. “It was cooler for almost a fortnight, so when temperature rose again, it felt hotter than usual. I stayed indoors and kept myself hydrated on coconut water and lemonade. We really felt the heat as the air did not cool down even by evening,” said Shreya Patel, a Satellite resident.The India meteorological department (IMD) has forecast a maximum of around 40°C for Sunday, followed by a gradual rise of 2 to 3 degrees over the next two days. After that, no major change is expected. From April 11 to 17, hot and humid conditions are forecast for coastal areas of Gujarat.On Saturday, the minimum temperature was 21.9°C, 1.9 degrees lower than normal. The Western Disturbance as a cyclonic circulation in north India persisted with a trough.Ahmedabad wasn’t alone the only place facing the heat in Gujarat. Several cities and towns recorded maximum temperatures above 40°C. Rajkot recorded the highest maximum temperature in the region at 41.8°C. Surendranagar and Amreli both clocked 40.3°C, while Kandla and Keshod touched 40°C.
