📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Soham Banerjee from Bangalore, india
Weather
IMD warns Maharashtra of hotter summer as El Niño strengthens
✍️ Mid-Day
🗓 25 Sep 2026, 09:16 AM
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The India Meteorological Department has cautioned that the strengthening El Niño could push temperatures in Maharashtra above normal during the upcoming summer months.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) released an advisory on Monday indicating that the ongoing El Niño phenomenon is intensifying and is likely to raise summer temperatures across Maharashtra. Meteorologists highlighted that sea‑surface temperature anomalies in the central Pacific have reached levels that typically precede hotter and drier conditions in the Indian subcontinent.
IMD’s forecast projects average maximum temperatures in major cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur to exceed the historical June‑August norms by 2‑4 °C, with heat‑wave alerts possible in the interior districts. The agency warned that prolonged heat could exacerbate water stress, increase electricity demand and heighten health risks, especially for vulnerable populations.
The department urged state authorities to activate heat‑wave response plans, ensure adequate water supply, and disseminate public health advisories. It also recommended that residents stay hydrated, avoid outdoor activities during peak heat hours, and seek cooling shelters where available.
Historically, strong El Niño events have coincided with some of the most severe heat spells in Maharashtra, prompting similar warnings in 2015 and 2019. IMD will continue to monitor the climate pattern and issue updates as the season progresses.
IMD’s forecast projects average maximum temperatures in major cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur to exceed the historical June‑August norms by 2‑4 °C, with heat‑wave alerts possible in the interior districts. The agency warned that prolonged heat could exacerbate water stress, increase electricity demand and heighten health risks, especially for vulnerable populations.
The department urged state authorities to activate heat‑wave response plans, ensure adequate water supply, and disseminate public health advisories. It also recommended that residents stay hydrated, avoid outdoor activities during peak heat hours, and seek cooling shelters where available.
Historically, strong El Niño events have coincided with some of the most severe heat spells in Maharashtra, prompting similar warnings in 2015 and 2019. IMD will continue to monitor the climate pattern and issue updates as the season progresses.