Chandigarh, April 4 -- After a hotter-than-average March, the heat is only going to intensify in April, according to the long-range forecast (LRF) issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The day temperature could soar to 40degC by next week, signalling the onset of a particularly hot spell.

The IMD's forecast, based on probability models, predicts that both maximum and minimum temperatures are highly likely to remain above normal. This follows an unusually warm March 2025, where the average maximum temperature of 29.1degC was the highest since 2022, when it had gone up to 30.9degC.

Rainfall in April, meanwhile, is expected to be near normal, around 13.4 mm, largely dependent on strong Western Disturbances (WD) affecting th...