IMD issues ‘severe’ heatwave warning for Delhi, MP, Telangana; heavy rains likely in Andaman — Check full forecast

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘severe’ heatwave alert from Northwest India, including Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, over the next few days. These states have already been battling with extreme heat since this week, with temperatures hovering around 45 degrees Celsius in the national capital on Wednesday. According to the IMD, a heatwave is observed when the maximum temperature crosses 40 degrees Celsius and remains 4.5 to 6.4 degrees above normal. Heatwave alert: In its latest bulletin, the IMD has predicted a severe heatwave over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh on Thursday; the conditions are likely to continue till 26 May. Vidarbha and Uttar Pradesh (East and West) are also expected to experience severe heatwave conditions till at least 23 May. The weather agency has predicted severe heatwave conditions over Chhattisgarh, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Telangana, and Odisha till 24 May, and Bihar till 23 May. The temperature in Uttarakhand is also expected to remain high on Thursday. Also Read | IMD warns of severe heatwave across north India; power demand hits record Delhi weather forecast For Delhi, the weather agency has issued an orange alert for heatwave on Thursday, 21 May, with the minimum temperature likely to settle around 28 degrees Celsius and the maximum touching 46 degrees Celsius. This would mark the sixth heatwave recorded in Delhi this year. Heatwave conditions were earlier recorded on April 23, 24, 25, May 19, and May 20, an IMD official said. “Heatwave conditions are expected to continue for the next one week,” Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather told PTI. He said the northwesterly winds have been sweeping into the national capital from the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan and parts of central Pakistan for the past few days. “Travelling across vast arid stretches, these winds turn intensely dry by the time they reach Delhi, trapping heat close to the surface and sharply intensifying the searing conditions across the city.” Palawat also said night temperatures have remained high over the last few days due to intense daytime heating. “The ground does not get sufficient time to release the accumulated heat, leading to persistently warm nights.” There is no forecast of thunderstorms or pre-monsoon rainfall activity over the next 10 days, which is further worsening the situation. Rainfall alert today With the southwest monsoon expected to reach Kerala on May 26, the IMD has forecast heavy rains for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Thursday and throughout the week. The weather agency has forecast moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of upto 40-50 kmph over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal and Karnataka till 24 May. Isolated heavy rainfall is also likely over Tamil Nadu on Thursday and Friday, and over Kerala, Mahe, and Karnataka on Thursday. The weather agency has also predicted isolated light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of speed reaching 40-50 kmph over Konkan & Goa and Madhya Maharashtra today.