A severe and early-season heatwave is taking hold of vast regions of India, with Nagpur witnessing the nation's hottest day on Saturday at a blistering 44.7°C. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a continuous heatwave in the coming days in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Vidarbha.

Nagpur, Maharashtra, set a seasonal high on Saturday with a record high of 44.7°C, which was 1 degree higher than the previous record on Friday of 43°C. Though 4.1°C higher than normal, it fell short of the official heatwave standard of at least 5°C above normal.

In the capital city, Delhi, the IMD has predicted a partly cloudy sky for Sunday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures ranging around 38°C and 25°C, respectively. On Saturday, the minimum temperature in Delhi was 25.8°C, which is 4.2°C above average. A new cloud cluster has caused very light to light rain and gusty winds with a speed of 30-40 km/h.

Rajasthan is facing intense heatwave conditions, with Barmer witnessing temperatures up to 46.4°C, much higher than April averages. Jaipur too has witnessed temperatures over 40°C for a number of consecutive days.

The IMD has suggested that the April-June season is going to be warmer than normal, and there will be more heatwave days in most states, such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and the northern region of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Citizens are instructed to exercise caution, including drinking plenty of water, staying indoors during the hottest part of the day, and keeping an eye on weather forecasts. Authorities are also gearing up for higher electricity consumption because of the heatwave situation.