Weather conditions across several parts of India have taken another turn just as the country begins preparing for the summer season. Recent rainfall has made early-mornings and nights cooler in many regions, bringing some relief from the unusual heat of the past few days. However, afternoons continue to feel warm due to strong sunshine.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds is expected to affect several parts of the country over the next few days.
Weather observations on March 16 showed rainfall at several places across the Himalayan belt and parts of the northeastern states.
Among the plains, the highest maximum temperature recorded was 40.5 degrees Celsius at Washim in Maharashtra and Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. Meanwhile, the lowest minimum temperature in the plains was 10 degrees Celsius at Gurdaspur in Punjab.
Northeast to see widespread rain
The weather department has forecast widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms across most parts of northeast India this week. Heavy rainfall is also likely at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.
Western disturbance to affect northwest India
In northwest India, light to moderate rain or snowfall, along with thunderstorms and gusty winds, is expected over the Himalayan region. A fresh western disturbance is likely to influence weather conditions in the region from the night of March 17.
Under its impact, rain or snowfall is expected in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the coming days. Isolated heavy precipitation is also possible later this week, with gusty winds and thundersqualls at a few locations.
Parts of the northwestern plains may also receive scattered rainfall with thunderstorms and winds reaching 40–50 kmph.
Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds are also expected across parts of eastern and central India. Rainfall activity is likely in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Bihar on different days during the week.
In western India, light to moderate rainfall may occur over parts of Maharashtra and Marathwada between March 17 and 19. Thunderstorms and lightning are also likely over Konkan and Goa around March 18 and 19.
Isolated rainfall and thunderstorms may also occur in southern states such as Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Weather outlook for Delhi
For the national capital Delhi, the IMD said skies are expected to remain partly cloudy over the next few days.
Maximum temperatures are likely to remain between 32 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures may range between 14 degrees Celsius and 16 degrees Celsius.
The department said daytime temperatures may rise slightly by 1–2 degrees Celsius over the next 48 hours before falling by 2–4 degrees Celsius over the following three days. Overall, temperatures are expected to remain normal to slightly above normal for this time of the year.
The IMD has also forecast very light rain or drizzle, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 20–30 kmph, gusting up to 40 kmph, in the capital around the night of March 18.
