India Scorches in March: Unprecedented Heatwaves Grip Nation, El Niño Looms

• India is experiencing unusually high temperatures in March, with some regions 8-13 degrees Celsius above normal.
• Mumbai recorded its hottest March day since 2021 at 40°C; Delhi saw its hottest March 7 in 50 years at 35.7°C.
• The intense heat is attributed to an anticyclone system bringing dry easterly winds and a lack of western disturbances.
• IMD has issued heatwave alerts for Konkan, Himachal Pradesh, and Gujarat, predicting above-normal temperatures through May 2026.
• A dry winter and potential El Niño conditions by mid-2026 are contributing factors, with some respite expected from an incoming western disturbance.