Weather Update: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in Northeast India, West Bengal, and Sikkim this week. According to the IMD, very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim between June 27 and 29, and in Assam and Meghalaya on June 28. Meanwhile, heatwave conditions persist in Uttar Pradesh and are expected to continue for the next two days. The monsoon is currently stalled, with its northern limit passing through Surat, Indore, Mandla, Daltonganj, and Motihari. Conditions appear favorable for the monsoon to cover the remaining parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Bihar, and to reach Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand over the next three to four days. Heavy rainfall was recorded in parts of West Bengal and western Madhya Pradesh over the last 24 hours. Normal rainfall was observed in eastern Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
Little Change in Temperature Expected
No significant change in weather is expected across most parts of the country for the next three to four days. Subsequently, temperatures are likely to drop by 4–6°C in Northwest India, 2–3°C in Central India, and 2–4°C in Eastern India between July 1 and 3. No significant temperature fluctuations are expected in other parts of the country over the next seven days.
Red Alert for Sikkim and Bengal
A ‘Red Alert’ has been issued for very heavy rainfall in West Bengal and Sikkim, with some areas likely to receive over 21 cm of rain. An ‘Orange Warning’ has been issued for Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, and eastern Madhya Pradesh. Lightning strikes are likely in all these regions, particularly in Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand. Heatwave conditions will persist in isolated pockets of Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, for which a ‘Yellow Warning’ has been issued. Heavy rainfall warnings have been issued for western Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and coastal Karnataka.
Heat Index in Delhi Reaches 48.4 Degrees
On Saturday, the heat felt in Delhi was far more intense than the actual temperature. While the maximum temperature was recorded at 41.3 degrees Celsius, the ‘heat index’ soared to 48.4 degrees Celsius. The Safdarjung weather station recorded a minimum temperature of 30.8 degrees Celsius, which was 2.9 degrees above normal. The maximum temperature stood at 41.3 degrees Celsius—4.1 degrees above normal and 0.2 degrees lower than Friday’s reading. A rise in minimum temperatures was also observed at other weather stations. The IMD has issued a ‘Yellow Alert’ for Tuesday and Wednesday, forecasting rain and thundershowers. The Meteorological Department stated that the city is likely to witness partly cloudy skies on Sunday, with the possibility of thunderstorms accompanied by strong surface winds blowing at speeds of 20 to 30 kmph during the afternoon or evening.
