As the southwest monsoon keeps widening its footprint across the country, rainfall is picking up across several states. For much of northwest India, the change brings welcome relief, with the recent spell of blistering heat finally beginning to loosen its grip. The weather office says a western disturbance is keeping temperatures in this belt below normal, offering people a meaningful break from the heat.
What today holds for Uttar Pradesh
According to the IMD, western Uttar Pradesh is likely to stay overcast on June 15 — that is, today. Several pockets could see gusty winds and light showers accompanied by thunder. The same western disturbance is pulling the mercury down across the state, which is why the air currently feels cooler than usual.
Heavy-rain warning for eastern UP
The sternest warning has been issued for eastern Uttar Pradesh. The IMD has declared an orange alert for Kushinagar, Siddharthnagar, Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Deoria, Mau, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra, flagging the risk of heavy rain with strong winds and thunderstorms. Varanasi and Gorakhpur, in particular, are being watched closely under the orange alert for rain.
Yellow alert for Noida, Ghaziabad and western districts
The districts in the western belt have been placed under a yellow alert. These include Saharanpur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Mahamayanagar, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur and Mahoba, where storms and rain are expected.
How long will the cool spell last
The regional meteorological centre says that from June 14, rain and storm activity across the state will gradually start easing off. No major weather alert is anticipated over the next few days. According to the department, the coolness people are currently enjoying could fade within a day or two — in other words, this comfortable patch is not expected to stretch on for long.
Central India — Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Vidarbha
In central India, rain and thunderstorm activity is likely to intensify over Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and the Vidarbha region on Monday. Parts of both eastern and western Madhya Pradesh may witness storms and rain along with strong winds. Chhattisgarh, too, is expected to record good rainfall at many places.
Monsoon most active over east and northeast India
Monsoon activity is expected to remain strongest across eastern and northeastern India. Many parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Sikkim and Odisha could see moderate to heavy rain. Meanwhile, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura are likely to continue receiving widespread rainfall in the days ahead.
