Heatwave alert in India till May 18, southwest Monsoon to advance from May 19. Check IMD predictions here

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heatwave conditions over northwest India till May 18. These states include Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and others. 

The weather office, in its latest bulletin, stated that several areas like some parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana will witness maximum temperature above 40 degree Celsius in the next five days. 

On the other than, some states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and others will have light rainfall. 

“Wet spell with isolated heavy rainfall accompanied with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds very likely to continue over south Peninsular India till 18th May, 2024. Southwest Monsoon is very likely to advance into South Andaman Sea, some parts of Southeast Bay of Bengal and Nicobar Islands around 19th May, 2024,” the weather forecasting agency said. 

Heatwave predictions

- Heatwave conditions very likely in isolated/some pockets over Konkan on 15th; over West Rajasthan during 15th-18th; over Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, south Haryana, Bihar during 16th-18th and north Madhya Pradesh, East Rajasthan on 17th and 18th May, 2024.

- Severe heatwave conditions also very likely in some parts of West Rajasthan on 17th and 18th; in isolated pockets of Punjab, south Haryana on 18th May, 2024.

- Hot and humid weather very likely to prevail over Konkan and Goa on 15th; Saurashtra and Kutch during 16th-18th and Gangetic West Bengal on 17th and 18th May. 

- Gradual rise of temperature by about 3-5 degree Celsius in maximum temperatures very likely over many parts of Northwest and East India during next five days. 

Rainfall predictions

- Isolated heavy rainfall also likely over Arunachal Pradesh during 16th-18th and Assam and Meghalaya on 17th and 18th May, 2024.

- Scattered light to moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and squally winds (30-40 kmph) very likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura on 15th and likely to increase to fairly widespread to widespread rainfall during 16th -18th May, 2024.

- Isolated light to moderate rainfall activity very likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during 17th-19th May, 2024.