IMD issues orange alert for Idduki, predicts very heavy rainfall in 48 hrs

Kerala's Idduki district is likely to get heavy rainfall in the 48 hours before monsoon hits the state on June 1 or 2, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday as. 

The IMD in a release said, "The Well Marked Low-Pressure area lies over West Central Arabian Sea with associated cyclonic circulation. It is very likely to concentrate into a depression over the same region during the next 24 hrs and likely to intensify further thereafter" 

The Well Marked Low-Pressure area is likely to move northwestwards across south Oman & east Yemen coasts during the next 48 hours and then move west-southwestwards. The weather agency also predicted that the sea condition is likely to be rough to very rough over the west-central Arabian Sea and along and off south Oman-east Yemen coasts.

"The area over west-central as and southeast as is maintained under continuous watch for the next 7 days," it added. 

Meanwhile, rains lashed Chandigarh and its surrounding areas on Friday, leading to a drop in temperatures by a few notches and bringing much-needed relief from the heat. Adjoining towns of Mohali in Punjab and Panchkula in Haryana also witnessed showers.

Thunderstorm with light rain is likely to occur over and adjoining areas of Matanhail, Jhajjar, Farukhnagar, Manesar, Gurugram, Nuh, Jattari, Palwal, Hodal, Agra, Mathura, Hathras, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra during the day. 

People walk on a road during monsoon rainfall, at Rajpath in New Delhi | PTI photo

The intense heatwave that gripped parts of north India relented on with light and sporadic showers in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, while Rajasthan saw a slight dip in temperatures after the mercury neared the 50-degrees mark a day earlier.

Weather departments in these regions have forecast thunderstorms and light rains in the next 24 hours, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting that heatwave prevailing over plains of northwest and central India will likely further abate from Friday.

A severe heatwave swept Punjab and Haryana earlier this week, with Hisar registering a high of 48 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. The maximums had hovered around 43-45 degrees Celsius at many other places too.

In large areas, a heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is 45 degrees Celsius for two consecutive days and severe heatwave is when the mercury touches the 47 degrees Celsius mark for two days on the trot.

In small areas, like the national capital, a heatwave is declared if the temperature soars to 45 degrees Celsius even for a day, according to the IMD.