Maharashtra Faces Record April Heat: Chandrapur Hottest in India, Pune Hits Season Peak at 43.2°C
Pune: Maharashtra is reeling under an unprecedented heatwave this April, with Chandrapur emerging as the hottest place in India, recording a scorching 46.2°C, while Pune’s Lohegaon registered its hottest day of the season at 43.2°C on Tuesday. Shivajinagar wasn’t far behind at 41.2°C, equalling its second-highest April temperature ever recorded.
Across Vidarbha, the mercury soared with Brahmapuri at 45.2°C, Akola at 44.8°C, and Amravati at 44.4°C. On Monday, Chandrapur had already recorded 45.6°C, nearing its all-time April record of 46.4°C set in 1996 — a record that has stood since temperature recording began in 1892.
“The summer of 2025 is turning out to be particularly harsh,” stated a weather expert from Vagaries of Weather. According to IMD, Lohegaon’s temperature was 5°C above normal, while Shivajinagar’s was 3°C higher than usual.
Elsewhere in Maharashtra, Solapur reached 43.4°C, while Jalgaon and Malegaon recorded 42.8°C, and Dharashiv stood at 42.5°C. Even coastal regions like Mumbai (Colaba) offered no real escape, logging 33.9°C on Tuesday.
The IMD attributes this intense heat to an anticyclonic circulation over Maharashtra, leading to descending, compressing air that prevents cloud formation and boosts surface heating. IMD Pune scientist SD Sanap said these conditions are likely to persist, driven by northwesterly dry winds and lack of moisture.
The impact has been deeply felt by residents. A Pune local for over 30 years, said, “This is one of the hottest Aprils I’ve experienced. My power bill has doubled due to constant air conditioner use.” Another resident remarked, “I was told Pune was pleasant year-round. This feels more like Delhi’s summer.”
Independent weather expert Abhijit Modak pointed to dry desert air from the north/northwest and local topography — particularly Pune’s northeastern suburbs — as aggravating factors.
Across India, Odisha’s Jharsuguda took the national hot seat with 46.2°C, just ahead of Chandrapur. Other scorched spots included Sambalpur (44.6°C) and Dhenkanal (44.7°C) in Odisha, and Ratlam (44°C) in Madhya Pradesh.
The IMD has issued heatwave warnings for Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and parts of Telangana, Haryana, Bihar, and Jharkhand until April 26. Hot and humid conditions will persist in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Konkan-Goa, and Madhya Maharashtra.
In Vidarbha, daytime highs between 42-45°C are now the norm, with temperatures exceeding normal levels by 2-4°C in several areas. As climate patterns shift, April 2025 is shaping up to be one of the hottest in recent history.
