Ahmedabad: The city remains in the grip of an intense dry spell, with the maximum temperature soaring to 40.6°C on Sunday, 3.8 degrees above the seasonal average. Nights have also remained uncomfortable, with the minimum temperature settling at 29.5°C. Similar weather is expected to persist on Monday, when the mercury is likely to reach around 41°C. So far, the month has been dominated by above-40°C temperatures, making it one of the hottest stretches of the season.

Among other places, Rajkot recorded 41.1°C on Sunday, the second-highest maximum temperature in the state after Vallabh Vidyanagar (41.3°C), while Surendranagar touched 40.3°C. Gandhinagar also crossed the 40-degree mark at 40.8°C. Elsewhere, Deesa recorded 39.6°C, Vadodara 38.8°C, Bhuj 38.3°C, and Bhavnagar 38.1°C. Coastal areas remained relatively cooler, with Surat at 36.6°C, Daman at 36.2°C, Okha at 36.3°C, Porbandar at 35.4°C, Veraval at 34.6°C, Diu at 34.5°C, and Dwarka at 33.6°C.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon has yet to move beyond Surat, leaving Ahmedabad and much of Gujarat waiting for relief. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the monsoon is likely to advance into more parts of the state later this week.

Weather conditions are expected to improve from Thursday, with daytime temperatures likely to ease across Gujarat. The IMD has also predicted moderate to heavy rainfall in Vadodara and parts of South Gujarat. Until then, coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch are expected to continue experiencing hot, humid, and uncomfortable weather through Monday. DeshGujarat