Heatwave alert: IMD issues red alert for these states; monsoon expected to hit Kerala in 5 days

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for severe heatwave conditions for Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh and western Madhya Pradesh for May 28.

Additionally, orange and yellow alerts have been issued for heatwave conditions in isolated pockets of Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh, the IMD said. 

Many parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, few parts of West Rajasthan, isolated pockets of Uttar Pradesh and west Madhya Pradesh will continue to experience heatwave to severe heatwave conditions on May 29 as well, while heatwave conditions are likely in isolated pockets of Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh.

According to the forecast, no red alert is issued on May 30 for any places. However, orange and yellow alerts have been issued for a few parts of west Rajasthan, west Uttar Pradesh and isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, east Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan, West Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

In some good news for scorched regions, the IMD on May 27 said heatwave to severe heatwave conditions over the western Himalayan region, east Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh are likely to reduce after three days. Heatwave to severe heatwave likely to persist over plains of Northwest India for three days and reduce gradually thereafter, it added.

Monsoon alert

The IMD on May 27 announced that the weather conditions will likely become favourable for the onset of the monsoon over Kerala within the next five days.

Additionally, the monsoon is expected to advance into more parts of the South Arabian Sea, the remaining parts of the Maldives and Comorin area, parts of the Lakshadweep area, further parts of the Southwest and Central Bay of Bengal, the Northeast Bay of Bengal, and some parts of the Northeastern states during the same period, IMD added.

Mwanwhile, a red alert isolated heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy rainfall (>204.4 mm) was issued for Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura on May 27 and heavy to very heavy rainfall alert (115.5-204.4 mm) on May 28.