Monsoon watch: Bengaluru, Kolkata, Thane on IMD alert as Maharashtra braces for more days of heat | Today’s news
Monsoon Update: As the Southwest Monsoon advances into remaining parts of Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, some other parts of Odisha and some parts of South Chhattisgarh, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for heavy rains in Rajasthan and Odisha on June 14. Heavy downpour is also likely in West Bengal and northeastern states. At the same time, several states are on yellow alert due to the possibility of precipitation today.
Forecasting rains over eastern India on Sunday, the IMD in its latest weather bulletin said: “Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Andaman and Nicobar Islands during June 14-15; Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during June 14 and during June 17-15-16.”
Besides, isolated heavy rainfall is also likely over several northeastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, in the next two days. Assam and Meghalaya can expect a wet spell till June 16, while rainfall is expected to continue in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura till Monday. Another flurry of fresh rains is likely from June 17 to 19 over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.
Moving to the weather forecast for southern peninsular India, the IMD said, “Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Kerala and Mahe and Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during June 14.”
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of strengthening El Nino conditions over the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which may impact the southwest monsoon. El Nino, which profoundly disrupts normal wind patterns and is expected to bring below-normal rainfall, last developed three years ago in 2023.
“The atmosphere has responded to sea surface warming and the coupled ocean-atmosphere system now exhibits characteristics consistent with El Nino conditions,” the IMD said on Friday.
The IMD today issued a yellow warning for rain in Bengaluru and Thane and a downpour for Kolkata.
Heat wave warning
Maharashtra is on heatwave alert as the weather forecast indicates high maximum temperature in isolated pockets of Marathawada, Vidarbha and Madhya Maharashtra on June 14 and 15. Besides, hot and humid weather is likely in Odisha today, Konkan and Goa till June 16 and coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam till June 15.
On Saturday, the highest maximum temperature of 41.9°C was reported in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar followed by Ahmedabad at 41.3°C. Notably, maximum temperatures were in the range of 36–40 °C at many places over central adjoining eastern and parts of northwest India, parts of Gujarat, interior Maharashtra and Telangana on 13 June.
Residents of northwest India can expect a gradual increase in maximum temperatures of around 4-6°C until June 17.
