New Delhi, Mar 22 (IANS): Not just the maximum temperatures but even the minimum temperatures at isolated places over Rajasthan and Marathwada were markedly above normal (5.1 degrees Celsius or more) on Tuesday.

Not just this, the minimum temperature was appreciably above normal (3.1 degrees Celsius to 5 degrees Celsius) at most places over central Maharashtra (comprising large parts of Marathwada), and at a few places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Chandrapur in Maharashtra's Vidarbha recorded the highest maximum temperature at 42 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said and warned that heat wave conditions were observed at isolated pockets over Madhya Pradesh.

Maximum temperatures were markedly above normal (5.1 degrees Celsius and above) at most places over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh and at many places over Uttarakhand and even in Assam, Meghalaya and at isolated places over east Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Rainfall and thunderstorms were observed at isolated places over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, central Maharashtra, north interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal, IMD records showed.

The weather forecast said fall in maximum temperature by about 2 degrees Celsius is very likely over many parts of northwest India (except east Uttar Pradesh) and south peninsular India during the next three days and rise by 2-3 degrees Celsius thereafter.

A fall in maximum temperatures by 2-3 degrees Celsius is very likely over Maharashtra during next two days and no significant change thereafter.

The IMD also predicted that abatement of heat wave conditions is very likely over most parts of the country during the next 4-5 days.