Weather update: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a warning for heatwave to severe heatwave conditions expected to prevail in many parts of the country today (May 18).
In a tweet on X, IMD said, "Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions very likely in many pockets of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, West Rajasthan and few pockets of East Rajasthan. Heatwave conditions very likely in few/isolated pockets of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Saurashtra & Kutch, on 18th May, 2024."
Earlier in the day, while speaking to media, senior IMD scientist Dr Naresh Kumar said, "From April till the last few days, continuous western disturbances were influencing Northwest India, due to which parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand experienced isolated rainfall. Due to this, the temperatures were not very high. In May, the temperature reached 45 degrees Celsius in many places. Even today, the temperature has already reached 45 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan," he said.
Heatwave in UP, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and MP
"In Punjab and Haryana, the temperature is also near 44 degrees Celsius and the conditions of the heatwave are similar to those in Uttar Pradesh. A heatwave is likely in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh for the next 5 days and in Madhya Pradesh and Bihar for 4 days, after which there may be mild thunderstorms, due to which the temperature may drop slightly," Kumar added.
Rainfall likely in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka
Similarly, for the southern states, he said, "Heavy to very heavy rains are likely in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and South Karnataka in the next 5 days". The Met Department in its weather advisory has said that heat to severe heat wave conditions are likely over the plains of Northwest India and Bihar during the next 5 days and Heat wave conditions are very likely to commence over East and Central India from May 18.
The Met Department further said that a wet spell with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely to continue over south Peninsular India till May 23.
According to the IMD's seven-day forecast, heatwave conditions are likely in isolated places in the capital on Saturday (May 18), with temperatures expected to reach 45 degrees Celsius.
Heatwave conditions occur when the maximum temperature is 4.5 degrees or more above normal temperature, reaching at least 45 degrees Celsius, according to the Met Department. There was no heatwave in May 2023 in Delhi, which recorded a highest temperature of 43.7 degrees Celsius in the month last year.
According to IMD data, the capital saw four heatwave days in 2022.
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