Thundershowers likely in Delhi today, light rain expected over the weekend

The inclement weather is because of a western disturbance that is affecting the western Himalayas and moisture incursion due to cyclone Nisarga, which hit the Maharashtra coast on Wednesday.

Thundershowers accompanied by lightning and gusty winds will affect various parts of north-west India and the western Himalayan region on Friday and over the weekend, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) authorities.

Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and gusty winds over the north-western region during the next two days and some heavy rainfall is also likely over Uttarakhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and southern Rajasthan during the next 24 hours, IMD said in its Friday bulletin.

The inclement weather is because of a western disturbance that is affecting the western Himalayas and moisture incursion due to cyclone Nisarga, which hit the Maharashtra coast on Wednesday.

“We can expect thundershowers in the Delhi-national capital region (NCR) on Friday and light rain over the weekend. There is no forecast for a heatwave for some time now in Delhi. Maximum temperatures may rise by three to four degrees Celsius after Saturday, but we’re not expecting a heatwave till June 15, and after that heatwave is unlikely. Delhi may get rains again after June 10 due to the likelihood of a formation of a low-pressure area,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre.

Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and gusty winds over the north-western region during the next two days and some heavy rainfall is also likely over Uttarakhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and southern Rajasthan during the next 24 hours, IMD said in its Friday bulletin.

The south-west monsoon has also advanced into the central Arabian Sea, Kerala and Mahe, some parts of Karnataka etc.

Conditions are becoming favourable for its further advancement of south-west monsoon into some more parts of central Arabian Sea, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, south-west and the east-central Bay of Bengal; the south-east Bay of Bengal and some parts of west-central Bay of Bengal during the next two days, the bulletin added.

There were apprehensions among meteorologists that monsoon advancement could slow down a bit, as its flow is pulled in towards cyclone Nisarga but that is not a cause for concern anymore, scientists said. “If Nisarga would have moved north-westwards towards Oman coast, then that would have delayed or stalled the monsoon flow for some time. Nisarga moved close to the coast and as a result, the problem didn’t arise. The monsoon current was strengthened and it has reached Karwar in Karnataka on Thursday,” said K Sathi Devi, head, National Weather Forecasting Centre.

“A fresh low-pressure area is likely to develop over the east-central Bay of Bengal on Monday. We can’t say for now what impact it’ll have and whether it’ll intensify,” added Devi.

Average monsoon rain across the country from June 1 to June 4 has been 24.3 millimetres (mm) compared to normal of 11.6 mm. Central India has received the highest rains in the past four days at 28.4 mm compared to a normal of 7.4 mm.

Widespread rain and thundershowers along the west coast and scattered rainfall activity over Gujarat, interior Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, interior Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is likely over the next four-five days.

Heavy rainfall is also very likely over Kerala, Konkan and Goa during the next three days and over coastal Karnataka during the next 24 hours.