North India reels under heatwave, rain likely in south, Northeast till June 19

Several parts of north and central India continued to batter in stifling heat with no relief likely till June 19 while rainfall was predicted to lash swathes of southern, western, eastern and northeastern India for five days beginning Saturday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

In Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, the IMD issued orange and red alerts for the next five days as the maximum temperatures hovered in the range of 44-46 degrees Celsius. This temperature range was also seen in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Chandigarh.

According to the weather department, heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were very likely in most parts of Uttar Pradesh, parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi between June 15 and 19, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand on June 15. Isolated heatwave conditions were also predicted in parts of West Bengal and Bihar on June 15 and in Uttarakhand on June 16.

Heatwave conditions were likely in some pockets of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu division between June 15 and 17, northeast Madhya Pradesh on June 15 and June 16 and north Chhattisgarh on June 15, the IMD said.

On the other hand, the Met Department predicted isolated extremely heavy rainfall in Meghalaya from June 15 to 19, in Assam between June 17 and 19, while scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) was predicted in parts of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha during the next five days.

Isolated heavy rainfall was very likely over Odisha between June 17 and 19 and east Bihar on June 18 and 19, the IMD said.

Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) was likely in Karnataka, Kerala, Mahe, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada, according to the IMD.

The weather office predicted isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during the next five days.

Isolated heavy rainfall was possible in Marathwada on June 16 and 17, Konkan, Goa, Kerala and Mahe from June 17 to 19, North coastal Andhra Pradesh and north interior Karnataka on June 17 and Madhya Maharashtra on June 18 and 19, the Met Department said.

Meanwhile, conditions were favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into some more parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh, parts of West Bengal and parts of Bihar during the next four to five days, the IMD said.

The slow progress of the Southwest Monsoon has been blamed for the extended heatwave in north and central India. The IMD reports a 4 per cent deficit in cumulative monsoon rainfall across the country for the first 12 days of the season. The situation is particularly grim in northwest India, which has received 53 per cent less than normal rainfall.

In contrast, southern India received 60 per cent more rainfall than usual during the June 1-12 period.

The monsoon is expected to arrive in Delhi by the end of the month, around June 27.

(with inputs from PTI)