The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday warned of a fresh heatwave which is likely to affect large parts of northwest and central India from Thursday onwards.
Parts of northwest India are expected to witness rise in maximum temperatures by 2-3°C in the next 48 hours and fall by 2-3°C thereafter. In the same time period, the central India, initially won’t witness any significant change in maximum temperature but may see a rise by about 2°C thereafter.
The heatwave conditions are likely to persist in isolated pockets of southwest Uttar Pradesh (during May 17 to 19); in Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu division and north Madhya Maharashtra (on May 17); in north Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha (May 17, 20 and 21); in south Punjab and south Haryana (May 19 and 20); West Rajasthan (May 18 to 21) and over East Rajasthan (May 20 and 21).
“Maximum temperatures are likely to cross 45°C again over parts of northwest India. There will be a short but strong heat wave spell till May 20 and then around May 21 and 22, we are expecting some premonsoon activity which will help relieve heat wave conditions. Monsoon winds are strong over Andaman region and there are very good pre-monsoon showers over Kerala, Karnataka etc which will continue. There is a cyclonic circulation over Kerala and neighbouring areas also,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president, climate change and meteorology, Skymet Weather.
Favourable conditions for further advance of monsoon will be witnessed in some more parts of south Bay of Bengal, entire Andaman Sea and Andaman Islands and some parts of east central Bay of Bengal during next two days, IMD said. Monsoon had arrived over Andaman and Nicobar Islands on May 16.
{{/usCountry}}Favourable conditions for further advance of monsoon will be witnessed in some more parts of south Bay of Bengal, entire Andaman Sea and Andaman Islands and some parts of east central Bay of Bengal during next two days, IMD said. Monsoon had arrived over Andaman and Nicobar Islands on May 16.
{{/usCountry}}Due to strong cross equatorial flow from Bay of Bengal to Andaman Sea in lower tropospheric levels, widespread rain is likely to hit Andaman & Nicobar Islands in next five days, IMD said.
Heatwave conditions expected till May 21
Apart from isolated heavy rain, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are likely to be hit by thunderstorm/lightning/gusty winds in next three days. Additionally, squally weather with wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is also likely over Andaman Sea, southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining central Bay of Bengal.
“We can expect heat wave conditions till May 21, then there will be a lot of clouding associated with a western disturbance and large scale strengthening of easterly winds. Maximum temperatures can go up to 45°C in between,” said senior scientist RK Jenamani, national weather forecasting centre, IMD.
Due to strong southwesterly winds from Bay of Bengal to northeast and adjoining east India and an east-west trough from northwest Rajasthan to west Assam, widespread light to moderate rain with isolated heavy to very heavy rain is very likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam-Meghalaya and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during next five days. Isolated extremely heavy rain (over 20 cm) is very likely over Meghalaya on May 17 and 18. Widespread light to moderate rain with isolated heavy rain is very likely over Mizoram and Tripura on May 17 and 18.
Isolated to scattered light rain with isolated thunderstorm/lightning/gusty winds is likely over Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha during next four days. A cyclonic circulation is lying over Kerala and neighbourhood in lower and middle tropospheric levels and a north-south trough runs from west Vidarbha to north Kerala in lower tropospheric levels.
Under the influence of these systems, fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rain with isolated thunderstorm/lightning/gusty winds is very likely over Kerala-Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Lakshadweep and Rayalaseema in next five days.
Isolated heavy to very heavy rain is also likely over Kerala-Mahe, Tamil Nadu, coastal and south interior Karnataka in next three days and isolated heavy rain for subsequent two days, IMD has warned.