Northwest India set to sizzle in heatwave, IMD cautions coastal areas for flash floods

A fresh wave of scorching heat is poised to sweep across northwestern India starting June 9, cautioned the India Meteorological Department this past Saturday. Additionally, it issued alerts for potential flash floods in select areas of coastal Karnataka, Kerala, Konkan, and Goa within the next 24 hours due to heavy rainfall.

Heatwave in Uttar Pradesh 

Heatwaves are forecasted to persist over portions of eastern and east-central India, as well as Uttar Pradesh and northeastern Madhya Pradesh over the next five days. Meanwhile, Maharashtra and coastal and north interior Karnataka brace for heavy rainfall during the same period, with Maharashtra anticipating isolated instances of extremely heavy rain from June 8 to 11, and Karnataka on June 8 and 9, according to meteorological updates.

Flash floods in coastal areas

In a bulletin released on Friday, the department underscored the risk of flash floods in coastal Karnataka, Kerala, Konkan, and Goa within the subsequent 24-hour period. The forecast includes potential surface runoff and inundation in low-lying areas due to anticipated rainfall.

Maximum temperature recorded

Maximum temperatures soared within the range of 42-45 degrees Celsius across many parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, northern Madhya Pradesh, and western Uttar Pradesh, with isolated pockets in Haryana, Delhi, Bihar, and Gujarat experiencing similar conditions, marking temperatures 2-4°C above average. Isolated pockets in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar continued to grapple with heatwave conditions.

Areas which will be affected 

Friday's observations revealed maximum temperatures predominantly in the 43-46 degree range across southern Haryana, Delhi, southern Uttar Pradesh, southeastern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and southwestern Bihar, exceeding average temperatures by 2-4 degrees. Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest maximum temperature at 45.8 degrees Celsius.

The southwest monsoon made headway into additional regions of the central Arabian Sea, southern Maharashtra, Telangana, southern Chhattisgarh, and southern Odisha, as well as some parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh on June 8. Favorable conditions are anticipated for the monsoon's further advancement into remaining portions of the central Arabian Sea, additional areas of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, and Telangana within the next two to three days.