New Delhi: There has been a continuous heatwave for about a fortnight in parts of northwest India and it will persist with a marginal and temporary fall around Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said.
During the pre-monsoon season, which started on March 1, there has been a 46% deficiency of rainfall in the country. The deficiency has been 91% in northwest India, 82% in central India, and 2% in South Peninsula. Out of 36 subdivisions, 20 and 60% of subdivisional areas have had a “large deficiency” (over 60% ) in rainfall.
“This is a very unusual and prolonged heatwave and dry spell over northwest India. Normally a heatwave spell is interrupted by some pre-monsoon showers after 4-5 days. But this time it has been a fortnight without almost no rain and continuous heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in many parts of northwest India,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, Skymet Weather.
He added a western disturbance is likely to affect the Western Himalayan region around April 12 and may trigger some pre-monsoon showers in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi between April 13 and 15. “A feeble low-pressure area was likely to form over the Bay of Bengal but conditions are now not favourable for its intensification. The anti-cyclone over Rajasthan has moved towards the northwest Arabian Sea. This will lead to hot, dry westerly winds from Baluchistan, central Pakistan, and the Thar desert affecting northwest India for at least the next 2 days. There may be marginal relief after that.”
IMD on Sunday said two western disturbances from April 12 to 14 and April 18 to 20 are likely to cause some light rainfall and clouding over higher reaches in the Western Himalayas. “This may trigger some thunderstorm activity over adjoining northern plains mainly over Punjab on April 13 and then April 18 and 19. Delhi may only have clouding, no rain/thunderstorms. But temporary relief is likely from the current very long spell of a severe heatwave over Rajasthan, MP South UP, Delhi, Haryana, and South Punjab,” said RK Jenamani, senior scientist, IMD.
{{/usCountry}}IMD on Sunday said two western disturbances from April 12 to 14 and April 18 to 20 are likely to cause some light rainfall and clouding over higher reaches in the Western Himalayas. “This may trigger some thunderstorm activity over adjoining northern plains mainly over Punjab on April 13 and then April 18 and 19. Delhi may only have clouding, no rain/thunderstorms. But temporary relief is likely from the current very long spell of a severe heatwave over Rajasthan, MP South UP, Delhi, Haryana, and South Punjab,” said RK Jenamani, senior scientist, IMD.
{{/usCountry}}The maximum temperatures were above normal by 6-10 degrees in most parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi last week.