The north is on fire, the south is getting soaked. Here is what IMD says May 18 looks like across India, with heat waves, thunderstorms, and a monsoon that is almost at the door. (Photo: PTI)

North India will be on fire on Monday, South, East and West to witness rain

The IMD has issued heat wave warnings for Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan on May 18, with temperatures expected to touch 45 degrees Celsius in the capital.

by · India Today

In Short

  • Delhi temperatures expected between 43 and 45 degrees Celsius tomorrow.
  • Vidarbha recorded India's highest temperature of 46 degrees Celsius Friday.
  • Southwest monsoon likely to reach Kerala around May 26, IMD says.

India on Monday, May 18, will be a country of two weathers, and neither is particularly gentle.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued heat wave warnings for Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi starting Monday, with the capital expected to record maximum temperatures between 43 and 45 degrees Celsius, which is three to five degrees above normal.

Strong surface winds reaching 20 to 30 kilometres per hour, occasionally gusting to 40 kilometres per hour, will blow through the day under mainly clear skies.

NORTHWEST TURNS UP THE HEAT

Rajasthan has been roasting for days, and the IMD says heat wave conditions there will continue through May 23.

Parts of Uttar Pradesh face severe heat wave conditions from May 19 onwards.

Heat wave conditions are set to grip Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan on May 18, with temperatures expected to soar up to 45 degrees Celsius. IMD has warned vulnerable groups, including the elderly, children and outdoor workers, to stay indoors during peak hours. (Photo: PTI)

In Vidarbha, temperatures reached a staggering 46 degrees Celsius at Amraoti and Wardha on May 16, the highest recorded in the country that day.

Maximum temperatures across northwest India are likely to rise by a further three to five degrees Celsius by May 21. Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha remain under heat wave watch through May 21.

NORTHEAST AND SOUTH GET THE RAIN

While the north bakes, the northeast gets drenched. Assam and Meghalaya will see fairly widespread rainfall with thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching 40 to 50 kilometres per hour on May 18.

Arunachal Pradesh is likely to receive isolated heavy rainfall.

The south and northeast are in for a wet May 18, with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds expected over Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Meghalaya as pre-monsoon activity intensifies. (Photo: PTI)

Further south, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, coastal Karnataka and Lakshadweep can expect scattered thunderstorms with gusts up to 50 kilometres per hour and isolated heavy rain.

Hailstorm activity is likely at isolated places in Interior Karnataka. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands face thundersqualls with winds gusting up to 70 kilometres per hour.

MONSOON ON ITS WAY

The southwest monsoon is slowly creeping northward. IMD says conditions are favourable for its further advance into parts of the southeast Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the remaining Andaman Islands over the next two to three days.

The monsoon is expected to set in over Kerala around May 26, with a margin of plus or minus four days.

Fishermen have been warned against venturing near Kerala, Karnataka, the Gulf of Mannar, the Comorin area and parts of the Bay of Bengal through May 22.

- Ends