Above-normal temperatures early in the year are increasingly becoming the norm across India. The India Meteorological Department on Friday reported that the northwest is expected to continue experiencing day temperatures 3-5°C above normal over many regions in the coming week. In fact, the country on the whole is likely to end February on an unusually warm note, with maximum temperatures well above seasonal averages.
In the past 24 hours, day temperatures soared over Jammu and Kashmir, exceeding normal values by more than 6.5°C. Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Gangetic West Bengal recorded temperatures 3–5°C above average, while parts of Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Assam saw departures of 2–3°C. Daytime highs ranged from 34–37°C in West Rajasthan, Odisha, and parts of Peninsular India, and 30–34°C across Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and large areas of Central and East India. Madurai in Tamil Nadu recorded the highest maximum temperature on the plains at 37.0°C, according to the IMD
Once considered unusual, above-normal mid-February temperatures are occurring with increasing frequency and intensity. Clear skies, low soil moisture, and fewer active western disturbances are among the key factors driving the early heat. In recent years, February has seen repeated 3–5°C above-average day temperatures, particularly across northwest and central India, accompanied by shortened winters and an earlier onset of summer conditions. Though noticeable since the early 2000s, the trend intensified over the past decade.
Warmer February days have serious implications, much more than just the discomfort part. It means stress on key resource water and related aspects like power generation and heat-related health issues. For rabi crops such as wheat and mustard it may lead to heat stress. Reduced winter conditions also affect snowfall in the Himalayas.
Climate records indicate that late-winter warming accelerated in late 1990s and early 2000s but since 2010, February heat anomalies have become more frequent and intense. In fact, several years post-2015 rank among the warmest on record. Scientists attribute the shift to long-term global warming, declining winter precipitation, fewer strong WDs, and changing land-atmosphere dynamics. Meanwhile, urbanisation and localised Urban Heat Island effect further amplified regional warming.