As heatwaves continue to flourish over the northwest and central India, the monsoon is yet to pick up the pace and will likely bring good showers by June 15, says IMD.
Parts of northwest and central India were in the grip of a heatwave on Tuesday with Banda in Uttar Pradesh recording the highest maximum temperature of 46.6 degrees Celsius with no relief in sight at least till Friday. At least 37 towns and cities across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh reported maximum temperatures above 44 degrees Celsius.
Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Madhya Pradesh are expected to experience heatwave conditions on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the has further advanced over some more parts of Tamilnadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal, southwest and the west-central Bay of Bengal. Monsoon is expected to be in the weak phase for at least another week and is likely to bring good showers once it picks up the pace by June 15.
In Delhi, Safdarjung, the base station for the national capital, reported a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius, which was three notches above normal. The weather office said no significant change in maximum temperature is expected over the next two to three days over northwest and central parts of the country and the mercury is likely to slide by two to three degrees thereafter. "Heatwave conditions in isolated places are very likely over Jammu Division, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana-Delhi, and east Madhya Pradesh during June 7-9," the India Meteorological Department said.
On the monsoon front, due to westerly winds from the Arabian Sea over south peninsular India, fairly widespread rainfall with thunderstorms/lightning is very likely over Karnataka, Kerala, and Lakshadweep over the next five days. The weather office has forecast isolated heavy rainfall very likely over south interior Karnataka on Wednesday, coastal Karnataka, and Kerala till Saturday