The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rainfall alert for several parts of the country, including northeast India and southern states, over the coming days. The weather agency has also shared a major update on the progress of the southwest monsoon, saying conditions are becoming favourable for its further advancement.
According to the IMD, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala, Mahe and South Karnataka are likely to receive heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds during the next 4 to 5 days.
The weather department said favourable conditions are developing for the southwest monsoon to advance into parts of the south Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea and some areas of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands around Saturday, May 16.
Meteorologists say that when conditions become favourable for the monsoon, moisture-laden winds from the sea begin to strengthen, leading to increased cloud formation and widespread rainfall activity. Temperatures also begin to decline during this phase, and the monsoon can progress on time or even earlier than expected.
Apart from southern India, the IMD has also predicted rainfall and gusty winds across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan and several parts of Uttar Pradesh over the next few days. Wind speeds during this period could reach 40 to 50 kmph.
The weather department has further issued a thunderstorm and lightning alert for several hilly regions in northern India. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are expected to witness rain activity on Thursday, while Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit Baltistan and Muzaffarabad are likely to receive rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16.
At the same time, several regions across north and central India continue to reel under intense heatwave conditions. The IMD said the heatwave is likely to persist in many parts of northwest and central India during the week, with several days of severe heat expected in affected states.
