Weather update: Hot and humid conditions to continue in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar

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Mumbai continued to reel under hot and humid conditions on Thursday amidst the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow warning alert for the city and its neighbouring areas. With temperatures in the range of 34-35 degrees Celsius, the city is experiencing extreme discomfort due to high humidity levels.

The IMD said that hot and humid conditions will continue in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar.

On Thursday, temperatures in Mumbai reached a maximum of 36.0 degrees Celsius, with minimum temperatures hovering around 28.0 degrees Celsius.

Weather update: Heat wave in India

Meanwhile, the blistering heat sweeping across large swathes of India continued unabated on Wednesday, with the mercury surging to 48 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan's Barmer, the highest temperature recorded in the country this year so far.

Water levels in the Delhi stretch of the Yamuna River dropped amid the sweltering heat, affecting water supply.

Official data showed that at least 24 places in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh recorded maximum temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius or above on Wednesday.

Barmer in Rajasthan recorded a high of 48 degrees Celsius, the highest in the country this season so far. Churu logged a high of 47.4 degrees, Phalodi 47.8 degrees, and Jaisalmer 47.2 degrees.

Maximum temperatures settled at 45 degrees in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam, 44.8 degrees in Maharashtra's Akola, 47.7 degrees in Haryana's Sirsa, 46.6 degrees in Punjab's Bhatinda, 46.1 degrees in Gujarat's Kandla, and 45 degrees in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.

Weather update: IMD predicting a rise in temperature

Conditions are set to deteriorate further with the India Meteorological Department predicting a rise of three to four degrees in northwest India over the next few days.

The Met department issued a red warning for Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and west Uttar Pradesh, emphasising a "very high likelihood" of heat illness and heatstroke in all ages.

It said warm night conditions could further exacerbate heat-related stress in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan over the next four days.

Weather update: High night temperatures

High night temperatures are considered dangerous because the body doesn't get a chance to cool down. Increasing nighttime heat is more common in cities because of the urban heat island effect, in which metro areas are significantly hotter than their surroundings.

The punishing heat is straining power grids and drying up water bodies, triggering drought-like conditions in parts of the country.

According to the Central Water Commission, water storage in 150 major reservoirs in India plunged to their lowest level in five years last week, exacerbating water shortages in many states and significantly affecting hydropower generation.