Expect three days of heavy rain, hailstorms from tomorrow: IMD

Delhi and all of northwestern India can expect thundershowers, hailstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) over three days starting the evening of May 3, courtesy the first western disturbance of the month, according to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast.

IMD has issued an orange alert for most parts of northwest India between May 3 and 6.

The warning is for Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and parts of Rajasthan, where thunderstorms, dust storms and gusty winds are expected due to the fresh and intense western disturbance, according to the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, Delhi.

There were seven western disturbances -- cyclonic condictions originating in the Mediterranean -- in April that brought rain and thundershowers to different parts of the country and kept temperatures lower than normal.

“The approaching western disturbance will be intense because an area of low pressure will form and on the night of May 3, a cyclonic circulation is likely to develop over west Rajasthan; there will be moisture incursion from the Arabian Sea. The disturbance will bring rain, thunderstorms, squally winds of 40 to 50 kmph speed over the entire north western region for three, four days. There may be snowfall in the upper reaches of Western Himalayas,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, Delhi.

Meanwhile, this season’s first cyclonic storm, Amphan is developing over the south Andaman sea. On Friday, a low-pressure area formed over south Andaman Sea and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal. Its intensification is expected to be slow and delayed, IMD said in its Friday bulletin. “Accordingly, it is likely to become more marked over the same region during next 48 hours, concentrate into a depression over Andaman Sea and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal during subsequent 48 hours and intensify further thereafter.”

The depression or storm is likely to move north-northwestwards gradually till May 5. Under its influence, there is likely to be heavy rain and thunderstorms over south Andaman Sea and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands over the next five days.

Sea condition will be very rough over south Andaman Sea and south-east Bay of Bengal from May 1 to 5, according to the bulletin, which has advised fishermen not to venture into south-east Bay of Bengal on May 1, south Andaman Sea and south--east Bay of Bengal on May 2 and 3, and Andaman Sea and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal on May 4 and 5.