Ahmedabad: After three days of intense heat, Amdavadis sighed in relief as the mercury came down a notch from 41.4°C on Tuesday and Wednesday to 38.9°C on Thursday, a drop of 2.5°C in 24 hours. It was, however, 3.8°C above the normal temperature. The minimum temperature, on the other hand, did not show a reduction. Compared to 22.5°C on Wednesday, it increased to 23.2°C on Thursday.For the past couple of days, the citizens reeled under intense heat which was about seven degrees above normal, which gave the feeling of mid-summer instead of just the start of the season in the state. Rajkot recorded the highest maximum temperature on Tuesday across India. According to the forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature on Friday is likely to be around 39°C, whereas the minimum temperature will be around 23°C.Across Gujarat, a drop in maximum temperatures was recorded, with only two cities — Rajkot (40.6°C) and Surendranagar (40.3°C) — recording temperatures above 40°C. In its state forecast, the IMD issued a Yellow Alert for heatwave conditions in Anand, Surat, Surendranagar and Rajkot on Friday, along with hot and humid conditions at isolated places across the coastal regions of Gujarat.In Gujarat, a gradual fall in maximum temperatures by 2-4°C is likely from Saturday onwards, according to the IMD forecast, whereas there will be no major change in minimum temperatures.The national IMD bulletin indicated that Gujarat remained among the regions with high maximum temperatures on Friday. With a change in weather conditions — a fresh western disturbance expected from Saturday — heatwave conditions will be isolated on Friday in Gujarat. The forecast also indicated chances of a warm night, where the temperature could be 1.6°C to 3°C above normal. The weather is likely to stabilize from Sunday onwards, the forecast indicated.
