Nagpur/ Mumbai:
While monsoon is set to enter Maharashtra by early next month, heat wave continued to burn parts of the state with mercury levels going as high as 47 degrees Celsius in Chandrapur district in Vidarbha region.
"Chandrapur district recorded the highest maximum temperature of 47 degrees Celsius for the fifth consecutive day Saturday. Neighbouring Brahmapuri taluka also recorded 47 degrees," a weather official said.
While Nagpur and Wardha cities came close to 46 degrees Celsius, Akola recorded a scorching 44 and Yavatmal and Amravati recorded 43 degree Celsius. The blazing heat wave only added to the woes of crisis-ridden Vidarbha region.
"Weather will continue to be sunny in all the districts of north-central Maharashtra and Marathwada. Partly cloudy weather is expected in districts of Konkan, Goa and south-central Maharashtra for the next 48 hours," the official at Met Office said.
Mumbai, however, maintained a maximum temperature between 33 and 35 degree Celsius and will continue to remain stable in the next 48 hours, with partly cloudy skies, said the official.
The weather bureau said that the monsoon is expected to hit the city on time, providing the respite from the sweltering combination of heat and humidity.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), there has already been onset of the monsoon in southeast Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. In Kerala, the monsoon is expected to arrive on June 1, and in Mumbai on June 10.
According to the IMD, the arrival of the monsoon was likely to stick to the normal dates this year.
"The southwest monsoon for the country is likely to be about 90 per cent to 110 per cent normal this year," added the official.