One of The Warmest October Scorches Gujarat as Temperatures Surge Across India

Gujarat and its major urban hubs, including Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and Rajkot, have experienced one of the warmest Octobers in recorded history, anchoring a countrywide heatwave that has pushed back the onset of winter across India.

Data released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirms that October overall proved to be the second-warmest nationally since official record-keeping began in 1901. Driven by persistent atmospheric humidity, a delayed monsoon withdrawal, and a total absence of active Western Disturbances, relentless daytime heat and oppressive nighttime minimums trapped moisture and thermal radiation across Western, Northern, Central, and Southern India.

For Gujarat and the wider Western belt, the extended summer conditions brought prolonged discomfort, leading a broader nation-wide pattern of elevated temperature anomalies.

Gujarat and Western Belt Lead Nationwide 'October Heat'

The Western coastal region and inland plains felt the brunt of high temperatures and severe moisture traps off the Arabian Sea:

Gujarat: Major commercial and administrative centres—including Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Rajkot, and Surat—logged persistent daytime maximums between 36.5°C and 37.8°C (up to 1.6°C above seasonal norms). High relative humidity compounded the thermal stress, keeping nighttime cooling to a minimum across urban pockets.

Maharashtra: Mumbai’s Santacruz observatory recorded daytime peaks reaching 37.6°C, standing a steep 4.5°C above normal. Coastal zones such as Alibaug and Raigad logged averages hovering near 35°C (+2.6°C anomaly).

North-West India Sees Dry Spells and High Night Temperatures

Across the North-Western plains, clear skies and an absence of post-monsoon rain kept afternoon temperatures high while preventing night thermal drop-offs. North-West India recorded its second-warmest October overall, driven by a 76 per cent monthly rainfall deficit:

Delhi-NCR: The primary weather station at Safdarjung registered average daytime maximums of 35.7°C (+1.5°C above normal). Nighttime minimums stayed elevated between 23°C and 24°C—up to 3.4°C above baseline—marking one of the warmest Octobers for the national capital in over seven decades.

Rajasthan: Desert belts including Barmer, Jaisalmer, Pilani, and Churu saw mercury levels regularly breach the 38°C mark, topping out near 39.7°C.

Punjab & Haryana: Agricultural regions surrounding Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Ambala faced prolonged heat spells following a near-total absence of autumn showers.

Central and Southern Peninsula Face Delayed Night Cooling

The delay in cool northerly wind progression extended elevated temperatures across the central and southern states:

Central India: Central India registered its warmest October on record. Key urban centres in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, including Bhopal, Indore, and Raipur, logged minimum night temperatures sitting 2°C to 4°C above baseline, blocking typical post-monsoon evening chill.

South Peninsula: Metropolitan centres such as Hyderabad and Bengaluru registered daytime highs 1.5°C to 3°C above historical monthly benchmarks, pushing South-Peninsula India into its third-warmest October overall.

IMD forecasts indicate that above-normal day and night temperatures will persist across Gujarat and northern India into early November before seasonal winter circulation patterns stabilize.