Monsoon weakens, heatwave to intensify in Northwest and Eastern India
Monsoon and Heatwave Alert: Weather Updates Across India
The monsoon’s progress is expected to weaken over the next week, leading to severe heatwave conditions in northwest and eastern India, meteorologists reported on Tuesday.
“Models are not showing significant rainfall, especially over north India, for the next six to eight days. The monsoon might only pick up by the end of June,” said M. Rajeevan, former secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Since June 1, northwestern India has seen a 49% rainfall deficiency, with eastern and northeastern India facing a 31% shortfall. Southern India, however, has recorded 69% more rain than usual. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has not officially confirmed a weakening monsoon yet. “It’s too early to determine when the monsoon will reach the northwest,” said M. Mohapatra, IMD Director General.
Skymet, a private weather forecaster, agrees with this outlook. “There will be a lull in the monsoon for at least the next three or four days. Rainfall will decrease over Telangana, Rayalaseema, and the rest of peninsular India,” said Mahesh Palawat, Skymet’s Vice President of Climate and Meteorology.
As the monsoon weakens, hot, dry winds are expected to blow over regions including Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and northwest India, increasing temperatures significantly. Last year, the monsoon’s progress was similarly delayed by Cyclone Biparjoy in early June.
Heatwave conditions are now prevalent in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, south Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, north Rajasthan, Odisha, and northeast Madhya Pradesh. The highest temperature recorded was 47.5°C in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
The IMD has issued severe heatwave warnings for parts of Uttar Pradesh until June 16 and for Bihar, Jharkhand, and Gangetic West Bengal until June 14. Red category warnings, indicating severe heatwave conditions requiring local authorities to act, are in place for Bihar and Jharkhand.
With 47% of India’s population reliant on agriculture, the monsoon’s performance is crucial for the rural economy. The IMD’s long-range forecast had predicted above-normal rainfall for the country between June and September, but the current situation suggests a more complex scenario.
