Red alert in Kerala today, thunderstorms in Delhi, showers on cards in Bengal

As the southwest monsoon continues to advance across India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings of widespread thunderstorms, gusty winds and heavy rainfall in several parts of the country over the next few days. The current weather activity is being driven by two upper-air cyclonic circulations - one over west Rajasthan and another over northern central Uttar Pradesh.

Northwest India is expected to witness thunderstorms with gusty winds over the next four to five days. The national capital, Delhi, saw light showers on Thursday evening, offering a brief respite from the prevailing humid conditions. An orange alert has been issued for Delhi for May 30, warning of lightning, thunderstorms and squalls.

Meanwhile, Kerala is on red alert as extremely heavy rainfall has been forecast for parts of the state, including districts like Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.

The IMD has issued a red alert for these districts. Educational institutions have been shut in several parts of Kerala on May 30, while nighttime travel has been restricted in high-range areas of Idukki between 7 pm and 6 am.

In Dakshina Kannada's Deralakatte area in Karnataka, a tragic incident claimed the life of a 10-year-old girl named Nayeem after a compound wall collapsed on her house due to heavy overnight rain. She succumbed to her injuries at a hospital after being struck by a falling window. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to hold a two-day meeting starting May 30 to review monsoon preparedness and developmental works with district officials.

On the eastern front, a deep depression that had formed over Bangladesh and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal has weakened into a depression and is expected to further weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area within the next 24 hours. The system was located around 60 km southwest of Tangail (Bangladesh) and 120 km northeast of Berhampore (India) as of early Friday.

Let us have a look at the region-wise forecast-

NORTHWEST INDIA

Scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph is likely over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi. Rainfall is also expected over Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan till June 2. On May 30, thundersqualls with winds gusting up to 70 kmph are likely in parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi. Himachal Pradesh may witness similar gusts on May 31 and June 1. A hailstorm followed by heavy rain lashed Shimla on Friday morning.

Isolated heavy rainfall is likely in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad on May 30 and 31, in Himachal Pradesh on May 31 and June 1, and in Uttarakhand from May 30 to June 2. Dust storms are expected at isolated places in West Rajasthan on May 30.

SOUTH PENINSULAR INDIA

Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph is forecast over Kerala, Mahe, and Karnataka from May 30 to June 1. Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema, and Telangana will see isolated to scattered rainfall on May 30 and 31.

Kerala and Mahe are expected to receive isolated extremely heavy rainfall on May 30. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, and Coastal Karnataka on May 30 and over Kerala and Mahe on May 31. Coastal Karnataka may see heavy rainfall on May 31 and June 1, while South Interior Karnataka is expected to receive rain on May 30.

NORTHEAST INDIA

Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall is expected across the region over the next week. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim from May 30 to June 1, and over Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura during the same period.

On May 30, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and the states of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura are expected to witness isolated extremely heavy rainfall. Exceptionally heavy rainfall, exceeding 30 cm, is forecast at isolated locations in Meghalaya.

EAST, CENTRAL INDIA

Scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall is expected over Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar from May 30 to June 1. Thunderstorms with gusty winds reaching 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph, are likely over East Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on May 30. Isolated heavy rainfall is expected over Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal, and Odisha on May 30.

WEST INDIA

Isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Konkan and Goa on June 1 and 2.