IMD Issues Nationwide Alert for Widespread Rainfall and Severe Weather Conditions
The India Meteorological Department has issued a comprehensive weather forecast predicting widespread rainfall, thunderstorms, hailstorms, and gusty winds across several parts of the country over the coming days. Active weather conditions are expected to persist until March 21, affecting multiple regions with varying intensity.
Regional Weather Breakdown and Forecast Details
According to the latest All India Weather Summary, fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning is likely over Northeast India for the next five days. Isolated heavy rainfall has been specifically forecast over states including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and the Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura region, particularly during the early part of the forecast period.
In Northwest India, a fresh western disturbance is expected to trigger a significant wet spell between March 18 and 20. This system will bring rainfall and snowfall to the Western Himalayan region, with isolated heavy precipitation likely over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir. The plains, including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan, may witness scattered rainfall along with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching 40–50 kmph on March 19 and 20. Hailstorm activity has also been forecast in parts of North India during this time.
Eastern, Central, and Southern India Weather Patterns
Across East and Central India, states such as West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Vidarbha are likely to experience scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with thunderstorms and gusty winds between March 17 and 21. Strong winds, with speeds reaching up to 70 kmph, are likely in parts of eastern India around March 20–21, along with isolated hailstorm activity.
In South Peninsular India, including Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, isolated to scattered rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds (30–50 kmph) is expected till March 21. The department has also issued warnings about lightning activity across several southern states.
Western India is also likely to witness weather activity, with isolated rainfall and thunderstorms predicted over Maharashtra till March 19, and Gujarat and Goa between March 18 and 19.
Specific Alerts and Temperature Trends
The IMD has issued specific alerts for hailstorms in various places, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and central India, during the forecast period. Thundersqualls, with wind speeds reaching 60-70 kmph, are expected at isolated places, especially in Uttarakhand and eastern India.
Regarding temperature trends, the maximum temperature is expected to rise initially in Northwest India, followed by a significant drop of 5-7 degrees Celsius during the subsequent days. Central and southern parts of the country are also expected to see a gradual fall in temperatures due to the ongoing rainfall activity.
Local Impact and Continued Monitoring
Amid this broader weather activity, Bengaluru experienced a sudden spell of rain on Monday evening, bringing relief from the recent heat. The city witnessed heavy rainfall for almost an hour and a half after 7 pm, along with hail in some places. Similar weather conditions were reported in other parts of Karnataka, such as Dabaspet, where 24.4 mm of rainfall was recorded, and Chamarajanagar, where hailstorms were accompanied by thunderstorms. The IMD has indicated that such conditions are likely to continue across interior Karnataka, including Bengaluru, over the next few days.
While no major warnings have been issued beyond March 21, the IMD stated that active weather conditions are likely to persist across several regions in the short term, keeping much of the country under the influence of unstable atmospheric systems. Residents are advised to stay updated with local weather advisories and take necessary precautions during this period of heightened meteorological activity.
