The weather department said that the maximum temperature over North-West, Central and West India will fall by 3-4 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperatures are likely to recede from Thursday in north India, which is reeling under a severe heatwave, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said.

“Under the influence of a western disturbance and an east-west trough in lower levels and likely occurence of rain-thunderstorm from 28-30 May, maximum temperatures over plains of north India are likely to recede fom 28th onwards with substantial reduction of heatwave condition from 29th May,” the IMD said in its bulletin on Thursday morning.

The western disturbance currently lies over northeast Afghanistan and adjoining Pakistan at 5.8 kilometre above mean sea level, the IMD bulletin further said.

Western disturbance is a cyclonic circulation which originates in the Mediterranean Sea. Traversing central Asia, it brings rains to the hills and plains when it comes in contact with the Himalayas.

The weather department said that the maximum temperature over North-West, Central and West India will fall by 3-4 degrees Celsius during next two-three days.

There is also prediction of isolated to scattered rainfall or thundershowers in North-West and Central India.

The temperature in north and central India has been hovering around 47 degrees Celsius for the past four-five days.

The maximum temperature in Churu, which had recorded 50 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, was 49.6 degrees on Wednesday, followed by 48.9 degrees in Ganganagar and Bikaner districts of Rajasthan.

Bathinda in Punjab recorded 47.5 degrees Celsius, while it was 47.2 degrees in Delhi.

On the progress of the southwest monsoon, the IMD said it had further advanced into some more parts of south Bay of Bengal, most parts of Andaman Sea and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.