Haryana: Pre-Monsoon Picks Up Pace
The build-up to the monsoon across northwest India has turned restless, and Haryana is feeling it directly. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has placed the state under a yellow alert for today and for 14 June. The warning lands just a day after a dust storm tore through parts of south Haryana, including Gurugram — uprooting trees, choking traffic and briefly easing the heat.
On 13 June, the department expects thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds to keep sweeping across several districts, with conditions easing only gradually from 14 June. Through this spell wind speeds could run at 60 to 70 kilometres per hour, and isolated gusts may spike to 80 kilometres per hour. The IMD says repeated bouts of thunderstorms, lightning and strong surface winds are likely across the whole of Haryana over the next five days. Oddly enough, even so, pockets of the state — particularly western Haryana — could continue to bake under heatwave conditions.
A Few Minutes of Rain Exposes Sonipat
In Sonipat, a downpour that lasted barely a few minutes laid bare the gap between civic claims and reality once again. The on-and-off rain offered relief from the heat, but the waterlogging that followed multiplied people's woes. Within minutes, streets were submerged and several stretches looked less like roads and more like lakes — quietly puncturing the municipal corporation's assurances.
What to Do, What to Avoid
The weather office has urged residents to stay indoors when storms strike. During lightning, people should avoid taking shelter under trees, keep clear of electric poles and stay out of open fields. Farmers, too, have been advised to check the latest weather advisories before beginning any work in their fields.
Himachal: The Next 48 Hours Look Rough
For the hill state of Himachal Pradesh, the coming 48 hours could prove punishing, with rain, hail and winds gusting up to 60 kilometres per hour on the cards. According to the latest bulletin from the Meteorological Centre, Shimla, most parts of the state are likely to see light to moderate rain, thunder and lightning, hail and strong winds over the next two days. In the past 24 hours, much of the state recorded light to moderate rainfall, with heavy rain reported at a few spots.
The heaviest rainfall in this period — 11 centimetres — was logged at Kasauli. The department says scattered light rain could continue across different parts of the state from 14 to 18 June. Intermittent rain and thunderstorm activity will persist until 13 June, after which the weather in the lower and mid hills is expected to settle. Higher reaches, however, may stay overcast with patchy light showers. Thanks to the rain, daytime temperatures could fall by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius in most areas today.
Which Districts Face the Biggest Threat
Shimla, Mandi, Kullu and Sirmaur are expected to see hail, lightning and winds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour at some locations, with gusts climbing as high as 60 kilometres per hour. A yellow alert for thunderstorms and strong winds has also been issued for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Chamba, Solan and other districts.
How Far the Mercury Dropped
The rain has pulled minimum temperatures down by 2 to 6 degrees Celsius in many parts of the state. Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti recorded the lowest minimum at 5.6 degrees Celsius. At the other end, Una was the state's hottest spot, with the maximum touching 44 degrees Celsius.
