NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a multi-hazard warning across the country for the next five days, alerting residents to extreme heatwave conditions, dust storms and warmer nights, particularly in Northwest India. Heavy rainfall is expected along the Western coast, while widespread rain with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds will affect East and Central India.
For the first time this year, extreme heatwave conditions have spread widely across Northwest India in May, typically one of the year’s hottest months. However, in May so far, the weather has been somewhat milder than usual due to the regular arrival of Western Disturbances, which have caused widespread rain.
The IMD has forecast heatwave conditions to persist in isolated areas of Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, MP, Punjab, and Rajasthan until May 24. Additionally, warmer night temperatures are expected in isolated regions of Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, J&K and Punjab. Hot and humid conditions are also likely in isolated places in Odisha.
The Northwest region may also experience thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 km/h, especially in the Western Himalayas, including J&K, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. The plains of Northwest India will also be affected, with the possibility of dust storms (40-50 km/h) over West Rajasthan in the next two days.
The IMD noted that maximum temperatures will not significantly increase over three days; however, temperatures are expected to drop by 2-3°C over the following four days in Northwest and Central India.
Moreover, multiple weather systems are influencing severe weather events in Southern and Eastern India. These include an upper air cyclonic circulation over the East-Central Arabian Sea off North Karnataka and Goa, a likely low-pressure area forming in the same region, and a trough extending from North Karnataka to Coastal Andhra Pradesh.
These systems are expected to bring extremely heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning to Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry over the next three days. The Northeast and eastern regions will also experience substantial rainfall. In addition, the IMD has advanced its forecast for the arrival of the monsoon. The Southwest monsoon is now expected to reach India on May 24-25, instead of May 27.