Monsoon tracker: Bengaluru, Kolkata, Thane on IMD’s rainfall alert as Maharashtra braces for more heatwave days

Monsoon update: As Southwest monsoon advances into remaining parts of Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, some more parts of Odisha and some parts of South Chhattisgarh, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued orange alert for heavy rains in Rajasthan and Odisha on 14 June. Heavy downpour is also likely in West Bengal and northeastern states. At the same time, several states are on yellow alert due to likelihood of precipitation today.

Predicting wet spells over East India on Sunday, IMD in its latest weather bulletin stated, “Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Andaman & Nicobar Islands during 14th-15th June; Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim during 14th June and during 17th-18th June; Odisha during 14th June with isolated very heavy rainfall also likely over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim during 15th-16th June.”

It added, “Isolated to Scattered rainfall likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Uttarakhand during 14th-19th June; Himachal Pradesh during 14th-19th June.”

Besides this, isolated heavy rainfall is also likely in several northeastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh over the next two days. Assam and Meghalaya can expect wet spells till 16 June while precipitation is expected to continue in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura till Monday. Another bout of fresh rains is likely from 17 to 19 June for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.

Moving to weather forecast for south peninsular India, IMD said, “Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Kerala & Mahe and Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal during 14th June.”

The weather office warned against strengthening on El Nino conditions over the equatorial Pacific Ocean which have may impact Southwest Monsoon. El Nino, which disrupts normal wind patterns profoundly and is expected bring below-normal rainfall, last developed three years ago in 2023.

“The atmosphere has responded to the warming sea surface temperatures, and the coupled ocean-atmosphere system now exhibits characteristics consistent with El Nino conditions,” IMD said on Friday.

IMD issued yellow alert for rains in Bengaluru and Thane and downpour for Kolkata today.

Heatwave alert

Maharashtra is on heatwave alert as weather conditions suggest high maximum temperature in isolated pockets of Marathawada, Vidarbha and Madhya Maharashtra on 14 and 15 June. Furthermore, hot and humid weather conditions are likely in Odisha today, in Konkan and Goa till 16 June and in Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam till 15 June.

On Saturday, the highest maximum temperature of 41.9°C was reported at Gujarat’s Bhavnagar followed by Ahmedabad at 41.3°C. Notably, maximum temperatures were in the range of 36–40°C at many places over Central adjoining East and parts of northwest India, parts of Gujarat, interior Maharashtra and Telangana on 13 June.

Residents of Northwest India can expect gradual rise in maximum temperatures of around 4-6°C till 17 June.

Delhi weather today

IMD lifted yellow alert for rains and predicted gradual rise in maximum and minimum temperatures by 3-4°C till 18 June. The weather forecast for national capital states, “Partly cloudy sky. Possibility of thundery development towards afternoon/evening.” The maximum and minimum temperatures over Delhi are likely to be -1.6°C to -3.0°C below normal, in the range of 37°C to 39°C and 23°C to 25°C, respectively.