No heatwave conditions over most of India for five days, says IMD

The India Meteorological Department on Saturday said most parts of India will have a sigh of relief for the next five days from the searing heatwave conditions that had rattled people this week.

It said a cyclonic circulation lies over northwest Madhya Pradesh and another over interior Tamil Nadu. A trough of relatively low pressure runs from northwest Madhya Pradesh to south Tamil Nadu across Telangana. Private forecaster Skymet Weather added another trough extends from northeast Bihar to Odisha via Jharkhand.

Weather experts say a trough usually brings cloudy conditions and rain, leading to a drop in temperatures.

According to the IMD, several parts of India had been experiencing heatwave conditions for the past few days. High temperatures in the northern and central plains had forced the local administrations to either change the timings or shut the schools until the weather improves. Even in the eastern hills, tea growers complained of relatively high temperatures and prolonged dry spell resulting in crop loss during the ongoing flush season.

In Delhi and its neighbouring areas, people were seen using scarves and taking shelter under trees on Saturday. The maximum temperature hovered around 37 degrees Celsius.

In Maharashtra, the government has shut down all schools affiliated with the state board till June 15. For Vidarbha region, the summer vacation extends till June 30.

Earlier this month, the IMD predicted above-normal maximum temperatures in most parts of the country from April to June, barring parts of the northwest and the peninsular regions. The central, east, and northwest parts of the country are expected to experience above-normal heatwave days during this period.

While a few regions have begun getting a respite from the heatwave conditions since Friday, the maximum temperature in some others such northwest, central and east India, including interior Gujarat and Maharashtra, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala still hovered around 40 degrees Celsius.

On Saturday, the maximum temperature was around 35 degrees Celsius in the rest of the country, except the western Himalayan region, where the day temperature was recorded in the range of 16-25 degrees Celsius.

The IMD said Saturday that heatwave conditions abated from Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.

"No heatwave conditions over most parts of India during the next 5 days," it added.

The weather office said hailstorms are very likely in parts of Odisha over the next three days, in Bihar for the next two days, and on Monday in Vidarbha. Heavy rainfall is expected in parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala on Sunday and in Odisha on Monday. Duststorm is very likely at isolated places in south Haryana, northeast Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.

Skymet said scattered rainfall is expected in the entire Northeast, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Thunderstorms with patchy rain may occur over the western Himalayas, parts of Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, southeast Uttar Pradesh, southeast Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and south-interior Karnataka.

The IMD has advised farmers should undertake harvesting of matured rice, maize, groundnut and ragi in Andhra Pradesh; rice in Kerala and keep the harvested produce in safer places.

They should postpone harvesting of rice in Arunachal Pradesh and keep the already harvested produce at safer places. Farmers should use hail nets to protect orchards in sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and Odisha.