Heat wave to persist over northwest central India, relief likely after May 29: IMD | Today’s news
NEW DELHI: Heatwave conditions will persist over large parts of India this week before temperatures begin to drop from May 29, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in an update on Tuesday.
Heatwave to severe heatwave is expected to continue over large parts of central and northwest India during the next 3-4 days, while eastern and adjoining peninsular India is likely to experience similar conditions over the next 2-3 days.
Even as extreme heat grips a large part of the country, conditions remain favorable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon to some other parts of Southwest and Southeast Arabian Sea, Southwest, Southeast and East central Bay of Bengal and remaining parts of Andaman Sea in the next 2-3 days, according to the IMD forecast.
The IMD predicted the onset of the Southwest Monsoon over Kerala on May 26, ahead of its normal onset date of June 1, with a model margin of error of four days either side. Last year, the monsoon reached the Kerala coast on May 24.
An early monsoon is critical for kharif sowing, especially for crops such as paddy, maize, cotton, soybean and oilseeds, as India remains heavily dependent on the southwest monsoon, which accounts for more than 70% of its annual rainfall.
The IMD said Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and eastern Uttar Pradesh are likely to witness heat waves between May 27 and 28, with severe heat waves expected in some areas of Punjab on May 27 and Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on May 27. West Rajasthan is expected to face severe heat waves till 28 May, while Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha are likely to remain under intense heat stress till 29 May.
Severe heat waves are expected in parts of West and East Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha during the week. Heat wave conditions are also likely in isolated pockets of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and Coastal Andhra Pradesh. The IMD has also warned of warm night conditions over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Telangana on May 27, adding to the discomfort level.
Maximum temperatures in northwest India are expected to remain largely unchanged till May 27, before dropping sharply by 6-8 degrees Celsius during May 28-29. Central and East India is also expected to witness a gradual fall in temperatures from May 29 onwards.
Amid the heat wave, Northeast and adjoining East India are likely to experience isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next 2-3 days, while Kerala and Tamil Nadu may experience heavy rainfall on May 26.
On 25 May, maximum temperatures ranged between 43-47 °C in parts of northwest and central India, adjoining Uttar Pradesh and eastern and northern peninsular India, while most other parts of the country recorded temperatures between 40-43 °C, except for northeast India, western Himalayan region and western peninsular India. The highest maximum temperature of 47.6 °C was reported at Banda in Uttar Pradesh and Brahmpuri in Maharashtra.
