The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted partly cloudy skies over parts of Delhi for Saturday, along with light rain and thunderstorms. Meanwhile, temperatures in several areas of Rajasthan crossed 45 degrees Celsius, but the IMD expects strong winds and dust storms from Saturday onwards, which could provide some relief from the intense heat.
“Partly cloudy sky becoming generally cloudy sky towards evening. very light rain/drizzle. Thunderstorm/lightning/duststorm accompanied with sustained surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph,” said the regional met centre in New Delhi in its Saturday forecast.
For Sunday, the IMD has predicted a partly cloudy sky over the capital, but no rain. Following that, mainly clear skies are expected till April 24, and no heatwave warning has been issued for the region until then.
On Friday evening, rain and gusty winds swept across parts of Delhi, bringing some respite from the heat.
Rainfall data showed that monitoring stations such as Narela, Pitampura, and Mayur Vihar recorded 0.5 mm of rainfall. In Pusa, the temperature dropped from 36 degrees Celsius to 27 degrees Celsius, while Pitampura and Mayur Vihar saw a dip from 37 degrees Celsius to 27 degrees Celsius.
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 41 degrees Celsius on Friday, which is 4.2 degrees above normal. The minimum temperature was 25.6 degrees Celsius, also four degrees above the seasonal average, according to the regional met office.
Heatwave conditions in Rajasthan
Rajasthan continued to reel under intense heat on Friday, with several locations recording maximum temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius. However, the weather department has predicted that strong winds and dust storms starting April 20 may offer some respite from the sweltering conditions.
Churu and Ganganagar recorded highs of 45.4 degrees Celsius, while temperatures reached 45.2 degrees Celsius in Chittorgarh, 45.1 degrees Celsius in Vanasthali and Kota, 44.9 degrees Celsius in Pilani, 44.4 degrees Celsius in Barmer, 43.5 degrees Celsius in Jaisalmer, 42.6 degrees Celsius in Sangaria, and 42.5 degrees Celsius in Fatehpur.
According to the forecast, parts of the Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions may witness strong winds ranging from 30 to 40 kilometres per hour and dust storms over the next 48 hours. Daytime temperatures are expected to drop by two to four degrees from April 20.
Heatwave conditions may continue in some areas of the Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Kota divisions.
Meanwhile, the IMD has also warned of:
- Heatwave conditions at several locations, with isolated pockets experiencing severe heat and heatwave conditions in Rajasthan at isolated places on April 19.
- Madhya Pradesh is likely to see heatwave conditions on April 19.
- Hot and humid weather is expected in Marathwada and Madhya Maharashtra till April 21 and in Gujarat from April 22 to 24.
Rain prediction for these states
Scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rain with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds is likely over Northeast and East India over the next five days.
Heavy rainfall is expected in the following areas:
- Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on April 19
- Arunachal Pradesh from April 22 to April 24
- Assam and Meghalaya on April 19, and again from April 21 to April 24
- Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura on April 24.
- Thundersqualls are expected at isolated places in Odisha on April 21
In South India, Kerala and Mahe may receive scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rain with thunder, lightning, and gusty winds over the next seven days. Other parts of the southern peninsula will see isolated to scattered rainfall with similar weather conditions during this period.
Article source: hindustantimes.com
