New Delhi, 26 June (H.S.): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that severe heatwave conditions are likely to persist over parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh for the next three days. At the same time, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to continue over Northeast India, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim over the next few days. Conditions also remain favourable for the further advance of the southwest monsoon into several more parts of the country.

According to the IMD, Delhi-NCR is likely to witness light rainfall accompanied by strong winds during the afternoon and evening on Saturday and Sunday. The maximum temperature is expected to remain between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is likely to range between 26 and 28 degrees Celsius. Similar weather conditions are expected to continue on June 29, although wind speeds may decrease slightly. Temperatures are expected to remain close to normal.

The weather department had also forecast strong winds and isolated rainfall for the national capital on Thursday. However, hot and humid conditions prevailed throughout the day.

The IMD said weather conditions remain favourable for the southwest monsoon to advance over the northern Arabian Sea, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, the remaining parts of Bihar, and additional areas of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the next three to four days.

The department has forecast widespread rainfall over Northeast India, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the week. Extremely heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim between June 27 and June 29. Light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by heavy showers at isolated locations, is also expected across several parts of northwest, central, eastern, western and peninsular India. Strong winds with speeds of 30 to 50 kmph are likely over these regions during the next six days.

In northwest India, rainfall is expected at several places over Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad between June 27 and June 30. Uttarakhand is also likely to receive rainfall from June 27 to June 29. Rain is expected over East Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab and West Rajasthan between June 27 and July 2, while West Uttar Pradesh is likely to receive rainfall from June 29 to July 2. Despite the forecast of rain in eastern Uttar Pradesh between June 27 and June 30, heatwave conditions may persist in some areas on June 27 and 28, with a warning of severe heatwave at isolated places on June 27. Odisha is also expected to experience hot and humid weather on June 27.

According to the temperature forecast, maximum temperatures over Maharashtra may gradually rise by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius until June 29, after which no significant change is expected. Central India may witness an increase of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius in maximum temperatures on June 28 and 29, followed by a similar decline thereafter. Across most other parts of the country, no significant change in maximum temperatures is expected until July 2.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar