North India sizzles, respite in next two days

There seems to be no immediate respite from the scorching heat as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heatwave to severe heatwave conditions to persist over the northwest India till June 15.

However, the MeT department said, the conditions would ease thereafter, due to cloudy sky and rainfall at some places. It said several parts of northwest India would receive isolated rainfall from June 14 to June 19. “Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh and Haryana may witness light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm, lightning and gusty wind at isolated places between June 13 and 19." the MeT department said.

In Delhi, the hot and humid conditions have sent the mercury soaring. The maximum temperature in the national capital was around 44°C and the minimum temperature 31°C, which was three to four degrees above normal. In Punjab, the weather department has issued a red alert for June 14 and an orange alert for June 15. The average minimum temperature across the state have been above normal by 4.9°C. No large change in maximum temperature is expected for the next two days, after which these are likely to fall by 2-4°C, according to the IMD.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon is expected to cover most parts of northwest India, including Delhi, by June 25, well ahead of the usual dates. "Conditions are favourable for further advancement of the southwest monsoon over some more parts of Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and Odisha in the next two days. It will cover parts of Gujarat, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar subsequently in three days."