Heatwave likely over Northwest & East: IMD

New Delhi, May 15 (Bureau) A fresh spell of heat wave will likely commence over Northwest India from Thursday and eastern India from May 18, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday. According to the IMD, isolated pockets of West Rajasthan, Punjab, south Haryana, East Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are very likely to witness heatwave conditions from May 16 to 19 with the possibility of severe heatwave conditions from May 17 onwards. “Heat wave conditions very likely in isolated pockets over Gujarat region during 15th-17th; Konkan on 15th & 16th; Saurashtra and Kutch on May 16th & 17th; Delhi, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha on May 18th & 19th,” the IMD said. The weather department has also predicted rainfall with isolated heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds over south Peninsular India till May 20. “Isolated heavy rainfall very likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala, Mahe, Coastal and Karnataka from today till 19th May,” the IMD said.

The MeT department also forecast isolated heavy rainfall over Arunachal Pradesh from May 16 to 19 and over Assam and Meghalaya from May 17 to 19. Southwest Monsoon is very likely to advance into South Andaman Sea, some parts of Southeast Bay of Bengal and Nicobar Islands around May 19, it said. On hot and humid weather, the IMD said, these conditions are likely to prevail over Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Bihar on Wednesday and Thursday. The IMD forecasts a gradual rise by about 3-4°C in maximum temperatures over many parts of Northwest and East India during the next four days and over Central India and Gujarat by about 2-4°C for the next 4-5 days with no significant change thereafter.