Heatwave Sizzles North, Central India As Temperature Soars To 47*C

While Delhi's base station at Safdarjung recorded maximum temperature of 44.2*C, temperature in Mungeshpur observatory in Northwest Delhi soared to 47.3*C.

Banda in Uttar Pradesh and Ganganagar in Rajasthan recorded the highest maximum temperature of 46.8*C and 46.7*C respectively.

"Heatwave conditions also prevailed over some parts of Vidarbha and over isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, west Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh," said an official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The IMD added there will be no significant change in the maximum temperatures over most parts of northwest India over the next four to five days. It said there will be no significant change in temperature over Central India over the next two days and the mercury was expected to slide by 2-3*C thereafter.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon has covered the entire north-east with Assam and Meghalaya experiencing heavy rainfall activity in the 24 hours ending 8:30 am on Sunday.

The weather office has forecast an increase in rainfall activity over the southern peninsula from Tuesday onwards.

THe IMD said, "Fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm/lightning is very likely over Karnataka, Kerala & Mahe and Lakshadweep and isolated to scattered over Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Tamilnadu, Puducherry & Karaikal during next five days."

It said squally weather with wind speed 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph were very likely over the southwest Arabian Sea during the next three days and advised fishermen not to venture into these areas.

According to the IMD, rainfall over the country as a whole for the month of May was 83.4 mm, which was 34 per cent more than its Long Period Average (LPA) of 62 mm based on the data of 1961-2010.

During May 2022, rainfall over South Interior Karnataka (232.3 mm) was highest since 1901, the IMD said.

(With PTI inputs)