El Niño Comeback: India Braces For Hottest Year As March Temperatures Soar To 38°C

• Early March temperatures hit 38°C; experts warn of a hotter year with El Niño expected after July.
• IMD forecasts a hotter than usual summer and early heatwaves across India, with mercury already at 35-38°C in several states.
• Northwest India, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and eastern/central states like UP, Bihar, Odisha, Telangana face severe heatwaves.
• India experienced its fifth warmest February since 1901; a 60% rainfall deficit recorded due to feeble Western Disturbances.
• WMO confirms weak La Niña fading, with a high probability of El Niño developing after July, impacting monsoon and temperatures.