Respite from intense heatwave for parts of northwest, east likely

SINCE APRIL 28, MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING SEVERE HEAT CONDITIONS

NEW DELHI: The country is expected to get some relief from sweltering temperatures as maximum temperatures across northwest and east India are expected to drop by 2-4°C over the next three days, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD)’s latest projection on Sunday.

Since April 28, majority of the country has been experiencing severe heat conditions.

The IMD forecast issued on Sunday states that maximum temperatures are likely to fall by 3-4°C over most parts of northwest India in the next two days.No significant change is expected in maximum temperatures over most parts of Central India during the next 2 days followed by a fall of 2-3°C thereafter. Maximum temperatures are also likely to fall by 2-3°C over most parts of east India, Gujarat and Maharashtra during the next 3 days.

Under the influence of a western disturbance as a trough in mid and upper tropospheric westerlies, light to moderate isolated rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm and lightning is very likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the next 2 days, the forecast states, adding that scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds (speed reaching 40-50 kmph) during May 3 to 5.

An isolated hailstorm is also likely over Jammu and Kashmir on May 3 and over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on May 3 and 4. Isolated light rainfall with dust storm, thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds (speed reaching 40-50 kmph) is very likely over Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan during the next 4 days. Strong dust raising surface winds (speed reaching 30-40 kmph) are very likely to prevail over most parts of northwest India during the next 2 days, IMD said.

Over east India, under the influence of south-westerly winds from the Bay of Bengal over east and northeast India in the lower tropospheric level, fairly widespread rainfall is likely over northeast India and sub Himalayan West Bengal-Sikkim during next 5 days with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds (speed reaching 40-50 kmph) over the region during next 3 days.