New Delhi, March 26 -- Summer's only just set in, but several states have already seen heatwaves as well as warm nights. The Met department has forecast a spike in mercury in the coming days. Mint explains the forecasts and the likely impact on the economy and food prices.

What is the state of play so far?

India officially considers March-May as summer. But this year, Goa and Maharashtra recorded the first heatwave in late February-still winter and a historic first. The Met defines a heatwave as when the maximum temperature in the plains is at least 40 degrees Celsius or five degrees above normal. In March, parts of Odisha, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana had heatwaves. This February was the hottest in 125 years. An analys...