Ahmedabad: The cool comfort that the month of February ususally brings is fast slipping away as Gujarat braces for a blistering summer with the mercury climbing sharply across the state and temperatures inching towards 40°C. On Wednesday, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar and Bhuj recorded a scorching 36.4°C, the highest in thestate, much above the normal temperature. Rajkot followed closely at 36°C, though the city saw a dip of 2.5°C compared to Tuesday, when the temperature peaked at 37.7°C. Gandhinagar, the greenest capital city in India, also recorded 35.6°C, reinforcing the feeling of summer setting in well before its usual time.Across towns and cities, the heat is being felt on the streets—people shielding themselves from the sun, reaching for cold drinks, and pausing under whatever shade they can find. Ice cream sellers and juice vendors are seeing brisk business as residents look for quick relief from the rising mercury.Nights are no more cooler and air-conditioners and desert coolers have been switched on with ceiling fans offering only limited relief for a comfortable sleep. In Ahmedabad, the night temperature of 21.8°C was 5.3°C above normal and that in Gandhinagar (21°C) was 5.4°C above normal.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), parts of Saurashtra-Kutch are experiencing markedly above-normal temperatures, with several other regions of the state also warmer than usual. However, a trough extending from south Karnataka to Marathwada, along with a cyclonic circulation over the northeast Arabian Sea near Saurashtra and Kutch, could offer brief relief.At the same time, IMD has forecast light rain or thundershowers at isolated places in Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Narmada, Dang, Tapi, as well as Bhavnagar and Amreli districts on Thursday. This is attributed to an upper air cyclonic circulation over the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast and additional circulations over Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
