As North sizzles, South, East under threat of heavy rain, floods

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 18 

Passing through an unusual climatic dichotomy, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued two weather warnings for India--one of extreme heat wave and the other of heavy rains and flooding.

Heat wave conditions are continuing at many parts of central and northwest plains--Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha--and the situation is not likely to get better anytime soon. 

The highest maximum temperature of 47.5°C has been recorded at Barmer in Rajasthan, says the IMD.

While the mercury is hitting the roof in these places, the IMD has issued a weather warning of heavy rains/thundershowers for several parts of northeastern states and south peninsular India.

The only silver lining — for the drought-affected areas and the parts experiencing heat wave — is that the southwest monsoon has hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

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Though there is still time before monsoon strikes the mainland (Kerala), Chennai has already reported heaviest rains in 24 hours.

Chennai is on a high alert as a flood-like situation is expected to develop in the region that saw several parts going under water last year.

Read also: Ten killed in landslides in Assam

Heavy to very heavy rain is likely at a few places with isolated extremely heavy rain over north coastal Tamil Nadu and south coastal Andhra Pradesh. Heavy to very heavy rain is also likely at isolated places over north, coastal and interior Tamil Nadu, Rayalaseema, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya. 

Heavy rain is also expected at places in sub-­Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, coastal Karnataka, Kerala, north coastal Andhra Pradesh and Lakshadweep area. 

Thunderstorm accompanied by squall has been predicted at isolated places over Jharkhand and Odisha. High-velocity winds are likely on the north Tamil Nadu coast and the south Andhra Pradesh coast, says the IMD, advising fishermen not to venture off coast.

The cause is a depression over southwest Bay of Bengal which has moved nearly northwards in past 12 hours. The system is expected to move northeastward and intensify into a deep depression and further into a cyclonic storm in the next 48 hours.