Rajasthan split weather: Jaisalmer hits 45.1°C as east gets rain

Rajasthan is experiencing a rare and stark meteorological split, with Jaisalmer recording the state's highest maximum temperature of 45.1 degrees Celsius in the past 24 hours, even as eastern districts like Dausa logged the highest rainfall of 14.2 mm — all on the same day, according to weather officials on Friday, 8 May. The simultaneous occurrence of intense heatwave conditions in the west and thunderstorms, gusty winds, and hailstorms in the east has made this one of the more unusual weather episodes the state has seen this season.

Western Rajasthan Scorches Under Heatwave

Temperatures in western Rajasthan surged well past 43 degrees Celsius across multiple districts. Barmer recorded 44.2°C, Phalodi touched 43.6°C, and Bikaner and Nagaur registered 43°C and 42.2°C respectively. Jodhpur recorded 41.9°C, while Kota logged 41.2°C. Sri Ganganagar and Jalore each touched 40.6°C.

The Jaipur Meteorological Centre has warned of an intensifying heatwave spell, forecasting a further rise of 2–3 degrees Celsius over the coming days in western parts of the state. Notably, this comes amid the broader pre-monsoon heat surge that typically peaks across Rajasthan's Thar Desert belt in May.

Eastern Districts Battered by Storms and Rain

In sharp contrast, several districts in eastern Rajasthan were lashed by rain, gusty winds, and hailstorms on Thursday. The Jaipur and Bharatpur divisions witnessed cloudy skies and light rainfall, while Alwar, Tonk, and Kotputli-Behror saw sudden weather changes during the late afternoon, bringing hailstones and rain.

In Dausa, strong dust-laden winds and dust storms battered the district for nearly 30 minutes on Thursday evening, followed by heavy rainfall in several locations — the highest in the state at 14.2 mm. Sawai Madhopur remained overcast through Thursday morning with light drizzle in the afternoon. Banasthali in Tonk district recorded 4 mm of rainfall.