The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has indicated the possibility of a flare-up in mercury conditions over the western parts of the country later this week.

It further warned that heat wave conditions may develop over isolated pockets of west Rajasthan and Gujarat, which have for sometime now been made to take on an invading area of high pressure (ridge) from across the border in West Asia.

High-pressure area witnesses sinking motion of air and therefore a pressure build-up, which leads to clear skies. The heating trend also becomes more and more linear.

This would mean that a fresh western disturbance making its way into the northwest after a hiatus may not be able to make an impression to heat building towards south-southwest.

The IMD has indicated the possibility of a rise in maximum and minimum temperatures over many parts of the country during the next two to three days.

Minimum temperatures have already risen above normal by 3 to 4 deg Celsius over the contiguous Rajasthan, Gujarat and northwest Madhya Pradesh belt

Satellite imagery on Tuesday afternoon showed convective (rain-bearing) clouds over parts of south Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.

But they were below normal by 4 to 6 deg Celsius over parts of Maharashtra and by 2 to 3 deg Celsius over parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and south Madhya Pradesh.

The upper air cyclonic circulation over southwest Bay of Bengal persisted. The existing trough in the lower levels ran down from Gangetic West Bengal to north Andhra Pradesh through Orissa.

An IMD forecast until Friday said that widespread rain or thundershowers would occur over Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Scattered rain or thundershowers have been forecast for West Bengal and Sikkim.

It will be isolated over the Northeastern States, Orissa, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep until Wednesday and increase thereafter.

Isolated rain or snowfall would also occur over Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday and fairly widespread on Thursday.

It will be scattered over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the same day.

Extended forecast until Sunday said that the fairly widespread rain or thundershowers would continue over Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Northeastern States. It will be scattered over extreme south peninsular India.

Fairly widespread rain or thundershowers has been forecast over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand as the western disturbance asserts itself in the region.

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