IMD Update: Monsoon progresses in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar; Heatwave alert in Delhi, UP

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has announced that the Southwest Monsoon is expected to advance into various parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Northwest Bay of Bengal, some parts of Gangetic West Bengal, remaining parts of Sub Himalayan West Bengal, and some parts of Bihar in the next 4-5 days.

The IMD has also issued a red alert for heatwave conditions in parts of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, June 16. Additionally, an orange alert, predicting heatwave to severe heatwave conditions, has been issued for parts of Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana.

Severe Heatwave Alerts:

Severe heatwave conditions are likely to persist in several parts of Uttar Pradesh from June 15 to June 18. Districts such as Bulandshahr, Varanasi, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Lalitpur, Sonbhadra, Kanpur Dehat, Mathura, and Agra are on red alert.

Parts of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi will also witness severe heatwave conditions between June 15 and 17.

Delhi is on orange alert from June 16 to June 18, with the IMD predicting "Mainly clear sky. Heat wave to severe heatwave conditions. Strong surface winds (speed 30-40 kmph) occasionally in gusty during the day" in the national capital on June 16 and June 17. It forecasts a "partly cloudy sky" along with heatwave conditions on June 18.

Isolated pockets of Bihar and Jharkhand are likely to experience heatwave conditions on June 16. Isolated to some pockets of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Division, and north Rajasthan may witness heatwave conditions between June 15 and 18.

Northeast Madhya Pradesh, north Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand may also experience heatwaves on June 15 and 16.

Monsoon and Rainfall Alerts:
The IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy falls over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, and Meghalaya during the next three-four days.

Widespread light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura; as well as Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the next 7 days.

Extremely heavy rainfall may hit parts of Meghalaya between June 15 and June 19, and Assam between June 17 and June 19. Kerala and Telangana may also see some rainfall on Sunday, June 16.

Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Odisha on June 18 and June 19. Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha may also witness "scattered light to moderate rainfall" in the next four days, with the intensity likely to increase thereafter, according to the IMD.