According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), February 2025 marks hottest in 125 years, making it the warmest month in India since 1901, with an average mean temperature of 22.04°C. With an anomaly of 1.49°C above normal, the month also saw the second-highest maximum temperature of 29.07°C.

At a record-high level of 15.02°C, minimum temperatures were 1.20°C warmer than usual. The intense heat was concentrated in Central India, where average temperatures increased by 1.73°C, and maximum temperatures rose by 1.94°C.

Experts attribute this anomalous warming tendency to both local weather phenomena and climate change. According to former IMD Director K. J. Ramesh, the effects of climate change are becoming more noticeable, with February’s trend matching historical patterns of global warming.

Severe Rainfall Deficit and Heatwave Predictions

Extreme temperatures were accompanied by one of the driest months in the past 125 years in February 2025, when India received less than half of its typical rainfall. February 2025 marks the hottest in 125 years, a milestone that also coincided with a severe rainfall deficit. During the winter months of January through February, the country’s rainfall deficit was 59%, with Central India having the largest shortfall at 89.3% and Northwest India coming in second at 64.4%. The cumulative rainfall for February was only 50.2 mm, which was the fifth lowest since 2001 and the eighteenth lowest since 1901, according to IMD statistics.

An above-normal number of heatwave days is anticipated throughout most of India between March and May 2025, according to the IMD’s forecast. This is especially true in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

Cities are becoming more susceptible to heat waves as a result of urban heat islands, according to climate policy expert Anjal Prakash of the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad. To lessen the effects of excessive heat, he emphasized the necessity of improved water management, more green space, and sustainable urban development.

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Impact of Missing Western Disturbances

The lack of sufficient Western disturbances, which normally aid in controlling winter temperatures and precipitation, was a major contributing factor to February’s intense heat and dry conditions. According to Subimal Ghosh of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai, the country’s extraordinary warmth and dryness were caused in part by the absence of these weather systems.

Additionally, Ghosh emphasized the significance of improved early warning systems in informing populations about severe weather. “If an alert for an unusually hot February is issued in advance, people can take necessary precautions, such as avoiding outdoor activities,” he said.

Worries about the future are raised by the ongoing warming trend, and scientists are calling for urgent climate action to prepare for extreme weather events and rising temperatures.

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