IMD warns of rain, thunderstorms, and possible hail across several states

Winds of up to 60 kmph may accompany storms in parts of east and north India, while heavy rain is forecast in the northeast; western disturbance could bring showers and snowfall in Himalayan states

Weather has turned comparatively warmer in most parts of India on March 16 and is expected to remain on a similar trend, with occasional rainfall in some regions. The national capital also woke up to a pleasant Monday morning.

 

Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, gusty winds and hail are likely to affect several parts of the country over the next few days, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

 

The weather department said thunderstorms with possible hailstorms may occur at isolated places in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttarakhand on March 16. Wind speeds during these storms could reach 50 to 60 kilometres per hour in some areas.

 

 

Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour are also expected in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, and parts of West Bengal and Sikkim.

 

Meanwhile, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Telangana, Maharashtra, coastal Andhra Pradesh and some northeastern states may experience thunderstorms with winds of around 30 to 40 kilometres per hour. 

Heavy rain forecast

The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh as well as Assam and Meghalaya on March 16. Rain and thunderstorm activity is likely to continue across several parts of northeast India over the next few days.

 

Fairly widespread rainfall and snowfall are likely over the western Himalayan region, including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, between March 16 and March 21 due to the influence of a western disturbance.

 

Another fresh western disturbance is expected to affect northwest India from the night of March 17, which may bring additional spells of rain and thunderstorms to the region.

Delhi weather

In Delhi, the sky is expected to remain partly cloudy with strong surface winds during the day. Wind speeds may reach 20 to 30 kilometres per hour.

 

The maximum temperature in the national capital is likely to be between 31 and 33 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is expected to remain between 14 and 16 degrees Celsius.

Temperature trends

Maximum temperatures are likely to fall by around 3 to 5 degrees Celsius over northwest India during the next two days before gradually rising again later in the week. Temperatures may also dip slightly across parts of central and east India during the same period.

 

The highest maximum temperature recorded in the country was 40.6 degrees Celsius at Amravati in Maharashtra, while the lowest minimum temperature over the plains was 10.3 degrees Celsius at Alwar in Rajasthan.

 

The IMD also said heat wave conditions were likely to occur in isolated pockets of Vidarbha on March 15.