Heat waves were reported in several parts of the country on Tuesday, especially in central India, but some parts of northern India may see some relief, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
After days of scorching heat, several parts of north India witnessed a slight drop in maximum temperatures on Tuesday as light rain accompanied by gusty winds and thunderstorms lashed most places in Punjab and Haryana, while Delhi braced for similar conditions for the coming days, IMD data showed.
In Rajasthan too, the maximum temperature dropped by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius at many places due to an active western disturbance and easterly winds, though parts of Uttar Pradesh continued to bask under the scorching sun as scorching conditions persisted in many parts of the state.
Read also | The heat wave will persist over central India on Tuesday as well, IMD warns
A cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan, northwest Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana is currently active and moving towards northeast India, causing a change in weather, the IMD said.
Delhi
In Delhi, people are likely to get some relief from the scorching heat that has pushed temperatures above 40 degrees as rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds are expected to lash the capital from Tuesday evening and continue for the next few days.
The city saw a slight drop in temperatures on Tuesday as the maximum settled at 39.2 degrees Celsius. On Monday, Delhi recorded the second hottest day in April with a maximum of 42.3 degrees Celsius.
Parts of Delhi also witnessed light rainfall during the day, with Palam Road and Lodi Road seeing traces of rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted thunderstorm activity accompanied by gusty winds and has issued a ‘yellow’ alert for Wednesday.
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Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab
“Parts of Rajasthan and Haryana may witness rain on Tuesday night and the system is expected to reach Delhi and remain active till April 30,” said Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather.
As the system moves from Rajasthan, it may produce dust storms, light rain and thunderstorms typical of pre-monsoon conditions, he added.
On Wednesday, maximum and minimum temperatures in Delhi are likely to hover around 38 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius, respectively, amid a warning of thunderstorms and gusty winds.
Although many parts of Rajasthan saw a slight drop in temperature on Tuesday, heatwave-like conditions persisted in the southwestern regions of the state, with Phalodi recording a maximum of 44.2 degrees Celsius, followed by 43.5 degrees in Kota, 43 degrees in Barmer and 42.5 degrees in Bikaner.
Punjab and Haryana saw a drop in maximum temperatures on Tuesday after light rain with thundershowers, lightning and gusty winds occurred in most parts of the two states.
Chandigarh, the joint capital of the two states, witnessed light showers as the maximum temperature settled at 33.8 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal.
In Punjab, the maximum temperature in Patiala settled at 36.5 degrees Celsius, while Ludhiana, Patiala, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Ropar and Mohali recorded highs between 31 and 33 degrees Celsius.
Northeast India
In the northeast, the IMD has issued a red alert for thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds for two districts in Tripura — West Tripura and Khowai — and an orange alert for the remaining six districts of the state for the next 24 hours.
The warning came after it wreaked havoc across the state on Tuesday morning, leaving hundreds of residential houses collapsed and disrupting road connectivity.
The IMD said that heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at one or two places over Khowai and West Tripura districts in the next 72 hours.
In Mizoram, all schools in nine districts of the state remained closed on Tuesday due to heavy rain that has lashed the state since Sunday, officials said.
However, schools in the southern districts of Hnahthial and Lawngtlai remained open after a slight improvement in weather conditions, they said.
Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha
IMD’s Akhil Srivastava said on Tuesday that thunderstorm activity is expected in Punjab and Haryana in the coming days, which may see temperatures drop by 2-4 degrees Celsius, according to ANI. He added that an orange warning for thunderstorms has been issued for Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, while northeast India is likely to see heavy to very heavy rainfall during the next week.
“Heat wave has prevailed in the northern region for the last 15 days. However, due to a western disturbance centered around 66°E, thunderstorm activity is expected in the western Himalayas and adjoining plains. Warnings have been issued for Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and may witness thunderstorms with wind speeds of up to 60 kmph, which will lead to a drop in maximum temperatures by 2 to 4°C in the next three days,” Srivastava was quoted as saying by ANI.
Uttarakhand
The IMD on Monday predicted heavy to very heavy rain in Uttarakhand and issued ‘yellow’ and ‘orange’ warnings for the next two days.
On Wednesday, the IMD issued an ‘Orange’ warning accompanied by warnings of thunderstorms, lightning, hail, intense to very intense gusty winds (speed: 40-50 kmph) likely to occur at isolated places in Nainital, Dehradun, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshtarak and Pithora district.
