Temperatures in the city are likely to reach 36 degrees Celsius by the month-end. Mercury levels have been above normal throughout the week ranging between 34 and 35 degrees Celsius.
Even the minimum temperature, which used to be around 24-25 degrees Celsius, is around 26-27 degrees Celsius.
Last year, the city had recorded a maximum temperature of 37.4 degrees Celsius on March 17, close to the all-time high of 38.1 degrees Celsius recorded on March 13, 1985.
Cloudy weather, prevailing since Tuesday, has brought down the mercury levels to some extent with the maximum temperature on Wednesday remaining at around 35 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 26.8 degrees Celsius.
The Indian Metrological Department has forecast that the maximum temperature might reach 36 degrees Celsius by the month-end with the minimum temperature reaching 28 degrees Celsius.
The high temperatures in March and rain at isolated places were mainly due to a depression that ran from the Lakshadweep area to Gujarat and Rajasthan, according to the department.
With no such depression at sight in the near future, temperatures are expected to remain normal.
Relief likely
Coastal Karnataka is unlikely to witness more than the normal temperature in the coming days as it would start to get pre-Monsoon sea breezes from April (Westerly winds), according to Puttanna, who just retired as the Director of IMD, Bengaluru.
Mr. Puttanna told The Hindu that temperatures in interior and northern Karnataka, however, are set to go up, beyond 40 degrees Celsius in places like Kalaburagi.
