India witnessed a mix of intense weather conditions over the past 24 hours, with regions across the country experiencing thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and heatwave conditions, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Thunderstorms accompanied by squally to gusty winds, reaching speeds between 60 to 90 kmph, were reported from isolated areas in Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, East Uttar Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Tripura. In other regions, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Marathwada, and Madhya Maharashtra, wind speeds were slightly lower, ranging between 40 to 60 kmph.
Alongside gusty winds, heavy to very heavy rainfall was recorded in isolated areas of Tamil Nadu, North Interior Karnataka, and the Sub-Himalayan region of West Bengal and Sikkim. Several other areas, such as Rayalaseema, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Marathwada, reported heavy rainfall activity.
In contrast to the stormy conditions prevailing in parts of southern and eastern India, parts of the north and northwest remained gripped by severe heat. Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were observed in isolated pockets of the Jammu Division. Meanwhile, areas of Rajasthan also experienced heatwave conditions, accompanied by unusually warm night temperatures in some localities.
The IMD continues to monitor the evolving weather patterns and has advised residents in affected areas to stay alert and follow safety guidelines.