The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said that conditions remain favourable for the further advancement of the southwest monsoon over parts of Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha in the next two days. The monsoon is also expected to reach more areas of Gujarat, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar over the subsequent three days.
The IMD has predicted an active monsoon phase from June 13 to 17, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall — exceeding 20 cm in 24 hours — at isolated locations over the south peninsular region and Konkan & Goa.
In contrast, northwestern India, including the Western Himalayan region, continues to experience scorching heat. Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are expected to persist over the next two days before gradually easing. On June 13, many places in Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, West Rajasthan, and Punjab recorded heat wave conditions, with some areas reporting severe heat. Isolated parts of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and East Madhya Pradesh also experienced high temperatures.
Night temperatures remained elevated as well, with warm to severely warm night conditions reported in parts of East Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab.
Meanwhile, the weather turned volatile in other parts of the country. Isolated hailstorms were observed in Himachal Pradesh, while thunderstorms with gusty winds reaching speeds of 60 to 90 kmph were recorded in parts of West Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, and Marathwada. Winds between 30 and 59 kmph swept through several other regions, including Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Assam, and Meghalaya.
Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was reported from Konkan and Coastal Karnataka, while isolated locations in Goa, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Interior Karnataka, and Kerala received significant showers.
According to IMD, there will be no major change in maximum temperatures over northwest, central, and eastern India for the next two days. A gradual fall of 2 to 4°C is likely thereafter over the following five days.
Heat wave conditions are expected to continue in Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana till June 15, with some areas likely to see severe heat. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are also expected to remain under similar conditions until June 14. Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh may also experience heat waves over the next two days.
Hot and humid weather is likely to persist over parts of the northeast, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and Bihar.
The IMD has advised citizens to remain cautious and take necessary precautions during this period of extreme heat and shifting weather patterns, even as monsoon rains prepare to bring much-needed relief to large parts of the country.