Weather today: Heavy rain likely over South India; mercury to rise in North

IMD forecasts heavy rain over Kerala and Tamil Nadu on February 21 and 22, thunderstorms in several states and a gradual rise in maximum temperatures across northwest and central India

India is witnessing a gradual shift in weather patterns as the winter chill recedes and the scorching sun begins to push temperatures higher, with rising mercury levels starting to cause discomfort across several regions.

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall at isolated places over south Tamil Nadu and Kerala & Mahe on February 21 and 22, with thunderstorms and gusty winds expected across parts of peninsular and central India.

 

According to the latest All India Weather Summary and Forecast Bulletin (night), light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching 30–40 kmph is likely over Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Karnataka over the next few days. Thunderstorm activity is also likely over Uttarakhand, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

 

 

For February 21, heavy rainfall is very likely at some places over Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal.

 

Squally weather with wind speeds of 40–50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, is likely over parts of the southwest Bay of Bengal, adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal and the Comorin area.

 

In the higher reaches, isolated rainfall or snowfall is likely over Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on February 22 and 23, and over Uttarakhand during February 22 to 24.

Changes in temperature

The IMD has forecast a gradual rise in maximum temperatures by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius over northwest India during the next seven days. Central India is likely to witness a 2 to 3 degrees Celsius rise in maximum temperatures over the next two days, with no significant change thereafter.

 

Gujarat and Maharashtra are also likely to see a 2–3 degrees Celsius increase in daytime temperatures over the next two to three days, followed by a gradual fall.

 

Minimum temperatures are expected to remain largely unchanged over most parts of the country in the coming days. However, Maharashtra may witness a gradual fall after four days.

 

On February 20, maximum temperatures were markedly above normal at several places across the northeast and parts of north India, while parts of Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and adjoining regions recorded markedly below normal temperatures. The highest maximum temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius was reported at Kottayam in Kerala, while the lowest minimum temperature over the plains was 8.5 degrees Celsius at Narnaul in Haryana.

Delhi weather forecast

In Delhi, the sky is expected to remain mainly clear to partly cloudy over the next few days. Maximum temperatures are likely to hover around 28–30 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures may settle between 11–13 degrees Celsius. No significant rainfall activity has been forecast for the national capital during this period.