Unpredictable skies, rising heat: What India’s wild weather means for travellers this week

According to the most recent notice published by the India Meteorological Department, travelers will encounter an unpredictable atmosphere in India, where severe thunderstorms may occur in the Northeast while heat waves will become more intense in the central and western areas.

If you are preparing to embark on your journey in the coming days, the changing weather conditions will undoubtedly affect your travel plans.

Northeast India turns lush, but volatile

In case you have your sights set on the lush scenery of Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh, prepare for an extreme change in the weather forecast. According to reports, rainfall will be observed in the region along with thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds that can blow up to 50 kmph.

While the above mentioned regions would certainly look picturesque with their lush greenery and swollen waterfalls, there may also be some risks associated with such weather conditions. Travelers should expect landslide in hilly areas, roadblocks, and disruption of air services in places like Guwahati and Itanagar, among others. There is a warning of heavy rain in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya later in the week.

Himalayan getaways see fluctuating conditions

The northern states of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh will be experiencing rains and thunder showers from April 14 to 18 because of an incoming western disturbance.Visitors visiting the hill resorts of Shimla or Srinagar can enjoy the cool climate, while cloud cover and some showers will add to the attraction of their destinations. However, trekking trails and mountain roads might be difficult to navigate.On the other hand, visitors traveling on highways in the plains of Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh must prepare for strong gusts blowing over the plains.

Eastern India: brief but intense weather activity

Eastern India will be having sporadic downpour and thunderstorm activities in some parts of Sikkim and sub-Himalayan West Bengal. Places like Gangtok and Darjeeling might witness some disruptions in travel on account of waterlogging and reduced visibility conditions.Thus, travelers should have contingency plans in their schedules, such as keeping extra days free in the schedule and not venturing out late in the evening.

South India: Sporadic shower and humidity along the coast

Sporadic showers and humid conditions in the coastal area will affect South Indian cities. Inland Karnataka can expect sporadic thunderstorms by mid-week whereas in coastal Karnataka, including Kerala and Coastal Andhra Pradesh, there is the possibility of rain and humid weather conditions.Visiting coastal cities like Kochi or Visakhapatnam can be an unpleasant experience on account of humidity although there would be some cloudy days too.

Heat wave alerts reshape central and western travel

While some areas are preparing for rainfall, other places are likely to suffer from an increase in temperatures. For example, places like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Maharashtra are likely to have heat waves starting from April 14 up to April 18.This means that there are chances that the temperatures will be increasing day by day in these regions, where some places have started experiencing higher temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius, for instance, in Akola, Maharashtra. This situation may adversely affect the travel experience in such regions in terms of wildlife and cultural heritage tourism.

A difficult week ahead for wildlife and adventure tourism

April is usually the peak time for wildlife tourism in India where parks in both central and western India have tourists visiting them to catch a glimpse of tigers.

In view of increasing temperatures, this activity may become more strenuous.The same applies to adventure tourism where trekking and mountain climbing in the northeastern region and Himalayas are likely to be affected owing to rainfalls and thunderstorms.

Travel planning: flexibility is key

The current weather outlook highlights the importance of adaptive travel planning. With such varied conditions across the country, travellers are advised to:

The bigger picture

The changing weather conditions this week are typical of the month of April in India, where winters make way for summers and the pre-monsoon season starts to gain momentum in some parts of the country.It is imperative for tourists to take advantage of this situation while taking into account the precautions that come along with it. On one hand, the northeast provides an array of scenic vistas, while on the other, the approaching heat in central and western India warns us about the challenges of traveling in summers in the country.With a varied climate profile continuing to present itself in different ways throughout the country, travelers should be ready to adapt to any situation.