New Delhi, May 18 (IANS): On the one hand, southwest monsoon is round the corner for peninsular India, while on the other central and northwest India continue to be in the grip of heat wave, albeit substantially reduced both in terms of intensity and spatial distribution.

But that is a short-lived joy as a fresh spell of heat wave conditions are likely over northwest and central India from May 19, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

On Tuesday, heat wave conditions were experienced over isolated places in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Bihar and Maharashtra. At 46.9-degree Celsius, Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest maximum temperature in the country.

Maximum temperatures were above normal (by 3.1-degree Celsius to 5-degree Celsius) at a few places in Jammu & Kashmir; at isolated places in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra; and were above normal (1.6-degree Celsius to 3-degree Celsius) at most places in Jharkhand, at many places in Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, and at a few places in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.

The IMD has predicted that heat wave conditions are very likely over Jammu division, parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on Wednesday while on Thursday, similar heat wave conditions are expected at isolated places in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat.

Heat wave conditions in isolated pockets are very likely over Uttar Pradesh on May 19; Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha on May 20 & 21; Punjab and Haryana on May 19 & 20; Rajasthan on May 18 to 21, the IMD warning said.