The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert in a number of Indian states until May 26 as a reprieve from the heatwave conditions that have prevailed across the country over the past few days.
In its most recent bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted rain and thunderstorms in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and south Haryana.
The IMD predicts isolated areas of heavy rainfall over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and northeast Rajasthan on 24 May, followed by moderate to heavy rainfall over Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and West Uttar Pradesh on 25 May.
The IMD predicts that isolated hailstorms are probable over Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh, and northern Rajasthan on May 24 and 25, and over Himachal Pradesh on May 24.
“Duststorms and thunderstorms with gusty winds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour are anticipated over Rajasthan from May 24 to May 26, 2023,” it added.
IMD forecast in India’s Northeast and East
Over Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura, isolated widespread precipitation is anticipated between 24 and 26 May in Northeast India.
Sikkim and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal are likely to experience precipitation over the next three days. While heavy precipitation is anticipated in isolated locations across Bihar on May 25.
Southwest India
According to the weather service, mild to scattered rain and thunderstorms are forecast for the majority of south peninsular India over the next two days, with the exception of Kerala and Mahé, where a fairly widespread occurrence is likely over the next five days.
Extreme heat conditions
On Tuesday, the maximum temperature hovered between 42 and 45 degrees Celsius in Vidarbha, sections of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, as well as in isolated pockets over Odisha, while it was below 40 degrees Celsius in the rest of the country.
In parts of Punjab, West Bengal, coastal Odisha, and the Northeastern region of India, maximum temperatures were 2 to 3 degrees Celsius above normal, while they were close to normal in the remainder of India.
