“We are receiving heatwave to severe heatwave conditions over the North India plains and also for the Western Himalayan regions…Accordingly we have issued red alerts today on June 17, 2024 over Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi,” IMD scientist Soma Sen said.
The scorching heat in the region shows no signs of abating. According to the IMD, the minimum temperatures are in the range of 28-33 Degree Celsius and these are above normal by 03-06 Degree Celsius over the plains of Northwest and Central India.
Earlier, on Sunday, the maximum temperature at the capital’s base station, Safdarjung, was 44.9 degrees Celsius, six notches above normal, against 44.6 degrees Celsius a day earlier.
The minimum was recorded at 33.2 degrees Celsius, six notches above normal, making it the second warmest for June in the past six years.
Humidity on Sunday oscillated between 19% and 47%. The heat index or feel-like temperature was 46 degrees Celsius.
Delhi has already endured eight straight days of heatwave conditions, with three uncomfortable warm nights.
While the North-centre and North-Western parts of India is experiencing heat wave, IMD had forecasted extremely heavy rainfall in north-eastern part of India and issued orange alerts for these regions.
“In the next 3-5 days, extremely heavy rainfall (above 20 cms) is expected over North East India mainly Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur,” IMD scientist Soma Sen added.
“Assam & Meghalaya very likely to get isolated heavy (64.5-115.5 mm) to very heavy rainfall (115.5-204.4 mm) on 17th June & exceptionally heavy rainfall especially over Meghalaya on 18th June 2024. ,” the met office said in a post on ‘X’.
“Arunachal Pradesh is very likely to get isolated heavy (64.5-115.5 mm) to very heavy rainfall (115.5-204.4 mm) on 17th & 18th June and likely to get heavy (64.5-115.5 mm) to very heavy rainfall (115.5-204.4 mm) to extremely heavy falls (>204.4 mm) during 19th-21st June, 2024,” the met added.