New Delhi: North and central India continue to bake under an intense heatwave but a breather is finally in sight. TheIMD in its latest forecast has announced
that the blistering heat will likely start easing from May 29. A fresh western disturbance, combined with moisture blowing in from the Bay of Bengal and is expected to trigger thunderstorms and rain across the parched northern plains.
For the past week, residents across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab have been dealing with brutal summer conditions. On Tuesday, Delhi’s Safdarjung recorded 43.5°C while areas like Ayanagar and the Ridge pushed closer to 45°C.
The highest temperature was once again recorded inBanda, Uttar Pradesh, which clocked a scorching 47.4°C, closely followed by Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan at 47°C.
While the IMD has kept a yellow alert in place for Wednesday, predicting dry winds and peak temperatures between 44°C and 46°C, the incoming weather shift brings hope for the residents. According to the forecast, rain and strong winds up to 80 kmph will sweep through Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh between May 28 and May 31.
While explaining the upcoming change, the IMD said, “Relief in heatwave conditions over the region is likely from May 29 due to a likely western disturbance along with a moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal due to the likely formation of a lower tropospheric east-west trough.”
When will monsoon arrive after Kerala misses early monsoon?
While the north waits for regular rain, the southwest monsoon is taking its time. Initial predictions suggested that there would be an early onset of the weather this time around May 26. However, a cyclonic circulation over the south-central Arabian Sea temporarily weakened cloud activity, pushing the expected onset window over Kerala to June 2-4.
To officially announce the monsoon’s arrival, the IMD requires atleast 60% of 14 designated weather stations in Kerala to record 2.5 mm or more of rain for two consecutive days, alongside specific wind speeds and cloud cover.
Even though these exact parameters haven’t been met yet, Kerala is already getting heavily drenched.
Rain warning and what lies ahead
The IMD has issued yellow alerts for heavy rain and thundershowers in southern districts like Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam. Meanwhile, northeastern states like Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are tracking widespread rain and a wet spell is predicted for Himachal Pradesh until June 1.
The 15-day data released by the European weather agency, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) for India shows signs of increased rainfall in South India, the Northeast region and the areas along the Bay of Bengal in the coming days.
The meteorologists emphasise that a minor delay of a couple of days will not adversely affect the overall performance of this year’s monsoon season.
