Heatwave Alert: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday (May 1) that maximum and minimum temperatures may remain above normal in most parts of North India, including Delhi, in the month of May. Heat wave may prevail for two to four days.
IMD chief Mrityunjay Mahapatra said that maximum temperatures are likely to remain above normal in most parts of the country except most parts of Northeast India, Northwest India, some parts of Central India and Northeast Peninsular India.
According to him, the mercury is likely to remain below normal in most parts of Northeast India and some parts of Northwest India and Central India and Northeast Peninsular India.
Table of Contents
How will the weather be where?
Mohapatra said that similarly, the minimum temperature may remain above normal in most parts of the country except some parts of North West India, Gangetic plains, Central India and most parts of Northeast India.
According to him, minimum temperatures are likely to remain below normal in parts of Northwest India, Gangetic plains, Central India and most parts of Northeast India.
Mrityunjay Mahapatra said that in the month of May, maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to be above normal in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh and other areas including North Rajasthan.
Mahapatra said that heatwave conditions, which are more than normal, may prevail for about two to four days in eastern Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, parts of Chhattisgarh, interior Odisha, Gangetic plains in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar, among other areas.
Generally, northern plains, central India and adjoining areas of peninsular India experience heatwave conditions for about three days in May, he said, adding that south Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Marathwada and Gujarat region are likely to experience heatwave conditions for about 5-8 days.
Where will it rain?
The IMD chief said that normal rainfall is expected across the country in May 2024, which could be 91-109 per cent of the LPA (long period average). According to him, the LPA of rainfall during May on the basis of 1971 to 2020 is about 61.4 mm.
He said that most parts of Northwest India, parts of Central India, South Peninsular India and Northeast India are likely to receive normal to above normal rainfall. The remaining parts of the country are likely to receive below normal rainfall.
He said that there may be normal or more than normal rainfall in Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.
Mrityunjay Mahapatra said that many parts of Odisha, North Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, South West Bengal, some parts of Northeast, Rayalaseema of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are likely to receive less than normal rainfall.
He also said that the average temperature in eastern and northeastern India in April was 28.12 degrees Celsius, which was the highest since 1901.
According to Mohapatra, the frequency of storms was less than average, so the temperature in East and Northeast India was relatively high. He said that the average maximum temperature in April in South Peninsular India was 31 degrees Celsius, which was the second highest since 1901.
Mohapatra said that Odisha experienced the longest heatwave of 16 days in April this year after 2016. He also said that 12.6 mm rainfall was recorded in South Peninsular India in April. This is the fifth lowest rainfall in this region in April after 1901 and the second lowest since 2001.
