Ahmedabad: The city continued to reel under an intense heatwave on Thursday, recording a maximum temperature of 44.4°C, which was 2.5 degrees above normal, as most parts of Gujarat remained in the grip of scorching summer conditions.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ahmedabad was among the hottest places in the state, with only Surendranagar recording a higher maximum temperature of 44.7°C. Other places that witnessed severe heat included Rajkot at 43.6°C, Gandhinagar at 43.5°C, Bhavnagar at 42.8°C, Deesa at 42.2°C and Amreli at 41.9°C.

Vadodara recorded 40.2°C, while coastal cities such as Surat (35.2°C), Porbandar (35.1°C) and Dwarka (32.3°C) remained relatively cooler due to maritime influence.

The IMD has forecast hot and humid weather conditions in Ahmedabad over the next two days. Meteorologists said rising moisture levels, combined with high daytime temperatures, are likely to increase discomfort levels despite the absence of any major heatwave warning.

While temperatures above 40°C are expected to persist in several parts of Gujarat for the next few days, weather officials have indicated that some relief may be on the horizon. A gradual fall of 3°C to 5°C is likely as pre-monsoon thunderstorm activity begins developing over parts of the state next week.

Dry weather is expected to continue in the immediate future. However, north and central Gujarat may start receiving light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms from May 30 onwards. Ahmedabad is also likely to witness pre-monsoon activity during the early part of next week. DeshGujarat

Today’s Weather Report (Reported on 0830 IST)