Delhi and its neighbouring regions are likely to witness a prolonged spell of light rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds over the coming days, according to the latest weather bulletin from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The IMD has forecast rain activity across Delhi-NCR till at least June 21, with cloudy skies, thunderstorms and strong winds expected intermittently over the next five days. The weather system is expected to keep temperatures relatively lower, offering relief from the intense heat witnessed earlier this month.
What is forecast for Delhi?
According to the IMD, Delhi is likely to witness generally cloudy to partly cloudy skies with spells of very light to light rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning from June 16 to June 21. Wind speeds could reach 30-40 kmph, gusting up to 50 kmph during thunderstorm activity, while stronger winds of up to 60 kmph are forecast on June 20 and 21.
The IMD has also forecast isolated thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, over Delhi, Haryana and Punjab on June 17 and again during June 19-22.
Where has the monsoon reached?
Currently, the northern limit of southwest monsoon passes through Harnai, Solapur, Hyderabad, Bhadrachalam, Koraput, Phulbani, Ranchi, Jamui and Muzaffarpur.
The IMD has said that conditions remain favourable for further advancement of southwest monsoon into some more parts of Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar, and some parts of Chhattisgarh during the next 4-5 days.
IMD has forecast the southwest monsoon at around 90 per cent of the long-period average, signalling a below-normal season.
Where is rainfall expected?
Rainfall activity is likely to remain concentrated over eastern, northeastern and south India.
The IMD has forecast isolated heavy rainfall over Bihar during June 17-20, while Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim are likely to witness very heavy rainfall during June 17-22.
In the Northeast, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected over Assam and Meghalaya during June 18-20 and over Arunachal Pradesh during June 18-22. Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura are also likely to receive heavy rainfall between June 18 and June 20.
Southern states are also expected to remain wet, with heavy rainfall forecast over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during June 17-18 and over Kerala and Mahe on June 17.
Which states will be impacted by El Nino?
The impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon, linked with a weaker monsoon in India, is likely to be “relatively severe” in 12 states, including Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, in the Kharif season, according to the agriculture ministry.
The ministry has directed coordinated action through district-level machinery in the most vulnerable regions.
Other states likely to be impacted by El Nino include Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
El Nino is a climate phenomenon historically linked to weaker monsoons and heightened rainfall uncertainties – a concern that looms large this year.
As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), El Nino conditions are currently present over the equatorial Pacific Ocean and are expected to strengthen further during the southwest monsoon season (June-September).
