BENGALURU: Chintaki in Aurad taluk of Bidar district on Monday recorded a maximum temperature of 46 degrees Celsius. Ever since the weather records have been kept, this is the highest maximum temperature recorded by a region in Karnataka, said Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) Director MS Divakara on Tuesday. On Tuesday, too, Chintaki recorded 46 degrees Celsius.

Raichur’s Lingasguru recorded a maximum of 44 degrees Celsius and Bengaluru Urban 38 degrees Celsius. While the maximum peak temperatures are a concern, what is more important is how long these maximums stay, he said.

“The maximum peaks in Bidar and Raichur were recorded around 2.15 pm. It remained constant for sometime and then dipped slightly. For over seven hours, these two regions and many other parts of the state experienced over 40 degrees Celsius. This is now becoming a growing concern,” he said.

Divakara said prolonged high temperatures impact minimum temperatures. This increases night temperatures, which are above normal by over 2-3 degrees Celsius. In Bengaluru, the minimum temperature on Monday was 25 degrees Celsius. For the last 29 days, the minimum temperature had been around 24 degrees Celsius. There is no cooling during night hours, which is impacting people, he said.

Heat staying longer; ’27 set to be 1oC hotter than ’26

“We are now scientifically analysing the data. We are doing a correlation assessment of temperatures, with their duration and impact. We are studying at what time it was hot and how long it stayed that way. Along with this, the humidity levels are also being noted. This prolonged heat is impacting human and animal health,” Divakara said.

Speaking at a day-long workshop on “Extreme heat and its impact on Bengaluru”, he said this trend of prolonged heat is rising and is worrying. District administrations have been given detailed guidelines of precautionary measures to be taken, but citizens too must exercise caution, he said. “As 2026 is the end of an El Nino year, historic data and scientific analysis shows that 2027 will be hotter by 1 degree Celsius compared to 2026. Citizens are advised to act now. A heat action plan has been prepared for many urban areas, but now there is a need to focus on small towns, hoblis and villages where temperatures are changing,” he added.

There has been a delay in the onset of pre-monsoon showers and the systems for the onset of monsoon. This will impact temperatures, he cautioned.