North and central India entered the nine-day “Nautapa” period on Monday amid severe heatwave conditions across large parts of the country, with temperatures crossing 45 degrees Celsius in several states and the IMD warning of continued extreme weather in the coming days.

Uttar Pradesh’s Banda and Maharashtra’s Brahmapuri emerged as the hottest places in the country at 47.6 degrees Celsius each. The IMD said heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were likely to persist over parts of northwest and central India for the next four to five days, with relief expected only from May 29 onward.

In Uttar Pradesh, Banda recorded 47.6 degrees Celsius, around 4.1 notches above normal, while Jhansi touched 46 degrees Celsius and Orai recorded 45.8 degrees Celsius. Lucknow registered a maximum of 42.3 degrees Celsius as authorities issued advisories asking people to avoid outdoor exposure during peak afternoon hours and hospitals were put on alert amid rising heat-related illnesses.

The onset of Nautapa — a period beginning when the sun enters the Rohini constellation and traditionally associated with the harshest summer spell — also prompted local authorities to adopt heat mitigation measures. In Lucknow, green shade cloths were installed above traffic intersections and water mist sprayed on roads, while in Gonda, electricity workers cooled transformers with fans and water sprays to prevent breakdowns amid surging power demand.

Delhi also sweltered under oppressive conditions, recording its warmest May night in nearly 14 years. Safdarjung, the city’s base station, logged a maximum temperature of 43.5 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 32.4 degrees Celsius, nearly six degrees above normal. Ridge station recorded 44.3 degrees Celsius, while Palam touched 44 degrees Celsius. The IMD issued a yellow alert for heatwave conditions in the national capital.

In Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, Brahmapuri matched Banda’s national high of 47.6 degrees Celsius. Nagpur recorded 46.5 degrees Celsius while Gadchiroli and Bhandara registered 46.4 degrees Celsius each. The IMD issued a heatwave alert for Vidarbha for the next two days, followed by an orange alert till May 28.

Odisha continued to bake under intense heat, particularly in its western districts. Boudh recorded 45.9 degrees Celsius while Titlagarh registered 45.5 degrees Celsius. The weather office issued a red warning for heatwave conditions in parts of western Odisha with no immediate respite in sight.

Rajasthan too remained under the grip of severe heatwave conditions, with Kota emerging as the hottest place in the state at 45.6 degrees Celsius. Chittorgarh and Sriganganagar both recorded 45 degrees Celsius, while temperatures hovered above 44 degrees Celsius in several other cities.

In Haryana, Sirsa recorded 46.2 degrees Celsius and Rohtak touched 45.2 degrees Celsius, while Madhya Pradesh’s Khajuraho sizzled at 47.2 degrees Celsius, among the highest readings in the country.

The IMD said maximum temperatures were likely to remain largely unchanged over the next three days before gradually declining later this week.