Ahmedabad: The city’s weekend was painted in shades of a scorching amber as the mercury climbed to a blistering 41.8°C this Saturday, a significant 2.2 degrees above the seasonal norm. For Amdavadis, the shade of the nearest neem tree or the hum of an air conditioner became a sanctuary, but the worst is still to come. The India meteorological department (IMD) warns that Sunday could see the mercury flirt with the 42°C mark, potentially setting a new peak for the month.Even the nights offered little respite, with the minimum temperature settling at a sticky 26°C, 1.7 degrees higher than normal. Western Disturbance as a trough and a cyclonic circulation persisted in northern India on Saturday.“No large change in maximum temperatures during the next seven days is very likely over the region. Maximum temperatures are very likely to be above 40°C over isolated pockets of Gujarat region during the next four days,” indicated the forecast for Gujarat by IMD on Saturday.Light to moderate showers are expected in Chhota Udepur, Dahod, Mahisagar, Amreli and Bhavnagar from Sunday to Tuesday, according to the forecast.Rajkot was the hottest city in the state at 41.9°C. Some other cities and towns with high temperatures included Amreli and Surendranagar at 41.7°C, and Gandhinagar at 41.2°C.
