As El Niño intensified, the delayed Southwest Monsoon continued its steady advance across the central and northern parts of the country on Saturday, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over Northeast India and adjoining Sub-Himalayan regions during the next five days.
According to the IMD, the Monsoon currently passes through Surat, Indore, Mandla, Daltonganj, Motihari.
According to IMD, conditions are favourable for the monsoon to advance further into more parts of the North Arabian Sea, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, the remaining areas of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar, and some parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the next two to three days.
Thereafter, the monsoon is expected to progress into additional parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and southeast Rajasthan.
The IMD has also issued a heavy rainfall warning for Northeast India, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20 cm) over the region, along with Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, during the next five days.
Rainfall alert in several regions
Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is likely over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on June 28 and 29, while Assam and Meghalaya are expected to receive isolated extremely heavy rainfall.
The intense rainfall could lead to flash floods, landslides and waterlogging in vulnerable areas, particularly in hilly and low-lying regions. Authorities have advised residents to monitor official weather updates and avoid unnecessary travel in areas prone to flooding and landslides.
Heatwave alert across north India
Even as the monsoon expands its footprint, heatwave conditions continue to affect parts of eastern India. The IMD has forecast isolated heatwave to severe heatwave conditions over parts of East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, where daytime temperatures remain appreciably above normal.
Several areas across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and parts of northwest and central India have continued to record above-normal maximum temperatures, prolonging uncomfortable weather conditions despite the seasonal advance of the monsoon.
In the national capital and adjoining areas, maximum temperatures remained in the range of 41-43 degrees Celsius. However, the IMD said temperatures are likely to gradually decline over the coming days as cloud cover increases, accompanied by the possibility of light rain and thunderstorms.
The IMD has forecast that the Southwest Monsoon season is likely to bring below-normal rainfall, estimated at around 90 per cent of the Long Period Average for the country as a whole.
Despite the overall seasonal deficit forecast, regional variations are expected, with normal to above-normal rainfall likely over parts of northwest and Northeast India.
