Over 40 degrees already, and it’s only the beginning!

For the first time this year, mercury in the state capital has breached the 40 degree-mark. Even as the maximum temperature on Monday was recorded at 41.4 degrees Celsius, there was a slim chance for respite from the sweltering heat for the next four to five days, weathermen said.

On Tuesday, however, temperatures may see a marginal drop, but with ifs and buts, they added.

“[The heat] is a result of pure westerly winds flowing in from the desert regions of Thar,” explained Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) senior scientist Mohd. Danish. Over the next few days, the maximum temperatures were likely to remain around 40-42 degrees Celsius, he noted.

“It is only April... Later, in May, the temperatures are expected to go higher than 43-44 degrees. The peak of this summer will be hotter than last year’s and temperatures may reach 45 degrees or even more,” said Danish.

Along with Lucknow, Sultanpur and Ballia also witnessed the mercury go over 40 degrees for the first time this summer, with Kanpur, Etawah, Varanasi, Banda, Jhansi, Hamirpur and a handful of others having done so earlier over the last week.

According to IMD, after recording temperatures between 41.4 degrees and 27 degrees on Friday, the maximum and minimum temperatures were expected to hover around 40 degrees and 26 degrees, respectively. For the rest of the state, the weather was most likely to remain dry. Districts which charted maximum temperatures higher than Lucknow’s on Monday were - Kanpur IAF and city stations, Varanasi stations, Churk, Prayagraj, Banda, Sultanpur, Fursatganj, Ghazipur, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Agra, and Bulandshahr.

For the next four days, yellow alerts have been issued for southern districts of UP, which will experience mild heatwave and loo-like conditions.