IMD alerts: No rainfall relief for Assam; Haryana, UP to see hailstorm
In its latest bulletin, the IMD said that rainfall will be triggered due to a wet spell over northwest and east India that will prevail till May 24 and a western disturbance which is likely to affect northwest India starting May 22.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rainfall with isolated heavy downpours to continue in Assam till May 22. Besides, Meghalaya - which too has been bearing the brunt of the monsoon, will see heavy rainfall on May 21 and 22, the Met department said in its latest bulletin. The same weather alert has been issued for Sikkim and sub-Himalayan West Bengal till May 22.

The IMD, however, said the intensity of rainfall will significantly reduce over northeast India starting May 22.
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The Met department said rainfall will be triggered due to a wet spell that lies over northwest and east India currently, and will prevail till May 24. Furthermore, thunderstorm activity will increase over the regions between May 22 and 24.
Simultaneously, a western disturbance lies over northeast Afghanistan and neighbourhood. Another western disturbance is expected to affect northwest India beginning May 22. “The east-west trough is likely to reappear in the lowest levels across north India,” the IMD bulletin said.
Under the influence of these conditions, as many as 15 states and Union territories (UTs), including northeastern and eastern regions, will witness rainfall with thunderstorm activity and hailstorm in some places till May 25.
The forecast comes even as heavy rainfall lashed Assam for the eighth consecutive day, affecting a total of 29 districts and increasing the death toll to 15 so far. According to a bulletin by Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 2,251 villages in 84 revenue circles of the state have been hit by flood waters.
Pictures flooding social media showed personnel of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) wading through waist-deep water to rescue people from their houses that were almost fully inundated. Teams of the Indian Army and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have also been deployed for relief work.
Here are the latest IMD alerts for 15 states and UTs till May 25:
1. Widespread rainfall with isolated thunderstorm or gusty winds are very likely over western Himalaya region over the next five days. Himachal Pradesh has been predicted to witness isolated hailstorm between May 21 and 23, while the same weather alert has been issued for Uttarakhand between May 21 and 24.
2. Light rainfall with thunderstorm or gusty winds are expected over plains of northwest India over the next five days, IMD bulletin said. Punjab, Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh are very likely to witness isolated hailstorm on May 23, while east Uttar Pradesh will see it on both May 23 and 24.
3. Widespread rainfall with isolated thunderstorm or gusty winds have also been predicted over Jharkhand, Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha till May 25.
4. Widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls are very likely over Arunachal Pradesh on May 21.
5. Widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls have been forecast by the Met department over Assam, Meghalaya, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on May 21 and 22. Meghalaya can witness isolated extremely heavy downpours on May 21.
6. Isolated heavy rainfall is expected over coastal and south interior Karnataka on May 21, and over Kerala on May 21 and 22. The intensity of rainfall will decrease in these southern states after May 22, the IMD said.