Further, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) major drought affected regions of the country are likely to experience dry spell this week.

Apart from Rajasthan and Gujarat and parts of Andhra Pradesh which are experiencing severe drought, parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, MP, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Orissa and West Bengal are also facing drought conditions.

Rain forecast: Rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at a few places in Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal, Sikkim, northeastern states, coastal and south interior Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Rains will occur at isolated places in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, west UP, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, MP, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Previous week's review: During the week-ended April 26, rainfall occurred at many places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal, Sikkim and Andaman & Nicobar Islands and at few places in Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, coastal and south interior Karnataka and Kerala. Rainfall also occurred at isolated places in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP, Bihar, MP, central Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, north interior Karnataka and Lakshadweep. Weather remained dry in the rest regions of the country.

There was no rainfall in Gujarat region, Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Saurashtra, Kutch and Diu. There was scanty rainfall in hills of west UP, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, J&K, Konkan, Goa, central Maharshtra, Marathawada, Vidarbha, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rayalaseema and Lakshadweep. There was deficient rainfall in Bihar plateau, east MP, north interior Karnataka, south interior Karnataka and Kerala.

Season's review: During the current pre-monsoon season beginning from March 1, Gujarat region, Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Saurashtra, Kutch and Diu received no rainfall. There was scanty rainfall in Bihar plateau, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, J&K, west MP, east MP, Konkan, Goa, central Maharashtra, Marathawada and Vidarbha. Scanty rainfall is termed when the region gets 60 to 90 per cent less rainfall as compared to its normal level.There was deficient rainfall in Gangetic West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar plateau, east UP, plains of west UP, hills of west UP, Himachal Pradesh, west Rajasthan, east Rajasthan, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and north interior Karnataka. Deficient rainfall is termed when a region gets 20 to 59 per cent less rainfall as compared to its normal level.

Temperatures: Heat wave conditions prevailed in some parts of northwest India on April 20. Thereafter, it abated from these areas. Heat wave conditions again started prevailing in some parts of northwest India on April 25 and continued to prevail in west Rajasthan, interior Orissa and Telangana on April 26.

The day temperatures were above normal by 3 to 5 degree centigrade in UP, Bihar plains, MP, Gujarat region, Vidarbha, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Kerala on some days of the previous week. Day temperatures were nearly normal eleswhere in the country outside Bihar plateau, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Gangetic West Bengal where these were below normal by 2 to 4 degree cetigrade during the previous week in question.

The highest day temperature of 45.9 degree centigrade was recorded at Kota in Rajasthan on April 27. Earlier, day temperature of 45 degree centigrade was recorded at Hissar in Haryana on April 20 and 26, at Khajuraho in MP on April 20, at Jharsuguda in Orissa on April 21, 22 and 26, at Bikaner and Churu in Rajasthan and at Ramagundam in Andhra Pradesh on April 26.

Atmospheric humidity levels: Early morning atmospheric levels fell as low as 20 per cent below normal in Hyderabad, followed by 16 per cent below normal in Pune, 12 per cent below normal in Calcutta, 11 per cent below normal in Nagpur, 7 per cent below normal in Bangalore, 5 per cent below normal in Srinagar and 2 per cent below normal in Shimla and Thiruvanthapuram. In other major cities humidity levels were near normal or very insignificantly above normal.