NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rain, thunderstorms and strong winds across several states on Sunday. Heavy rainfall is likely in parts of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, while thunderstorms and gusty winds are expected in Delhi-NCR, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. The southwest monsoon is also set to advance further into Maharashtra over the coming days.IMD issues rain and thunderstorm alerts across statesThe weather department has warned of widespread rain and thunderstorm activity across eastern, north-eastern, southern and north-western parts of the country. Several regions are likely to witness lightning and gusty winds, while some areas could receive heavy rainfall.Strong winds of up to 70 kmph are likely in parts of Rajasthan, while winds reaching 40-50 kmph have been forecast for Tamil Nadu and Delhi-NCR.Delhi-NCR weather tomorrowDelhi-NCR are likely to get relief from the ongoing heat, with rain and thunderstorms expected to continue on Sunday.The IMD has forecast thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds across parts of the National Capital Region. Similar weather conditions prevailed on Saturday, and the weather office expects the pattern to continue into Sunday.Maharashtra weather forecastThe IMD has predicted a gradual increase of 1-2°C in maximum temperatures across the interior parts of Maharashtra over the next three days, followed by a gradual decline.Minimum temperatures across Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada are expected to remain largely unchanged over the next four to five days.At the same time, Vidarbha is likely to receive light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms. A yellow alert has been issued for isolated rain and thunderstorm activity in parts of the state.The weather department has also said that the southwest monsoon is likely to advance further into Maharashtra over the next four to five days.Monsoon outlookAccording to the IMD’s Long Range Forecast for the June-September monsoon season, rainfall across the country is likely to be around 90 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA), with a model error margin of plus or minus four per cent. This indicates below-normal rainfall during the southwest monsoon season.Tamil Nadu braces for heavy rainHeavy rainfall is expected in more than 10 districts around the Western Ghats region of Tamil Nadu from June 21 as favourable weather systems continue to influence the state.The Regional Meteorological Centre said weather conditions are likely to undergo a significant change from Sunday, creating favourable conditions for the onset of the southwest monsoon.Heavy rain is likely at isolated places in Nilgiris, Erode, Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Coimbatore, Theni, Dindigul, Kanyakumari and the ghat areas of Tirunelveli district.The rainfall activity is expected to bring down maximum temperatures by 4-5°C in several affected districts.Kalasapakkam in Tiruvannamalai district recorded the highest rainfall of 9 cm during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Saturday, while Kakkudi in Ramanathapuram received 8 cm.The IMD has also warned fishermen against venturing into the sea as squally winds of 40-50 kmph are expected along the Tamil Nadu coast, the Gulf of Mannar and the adjoining Comorin region.Chennai and its suburbs are likely to witness light to moderate evening showers accompanied by thunder and lightning at isolated places.Red alert for heavy rain in West BengalKolkata and several districts of South Bengal are likely to witness light to moderate rain and thunderstorms on Sunday.The IMD has warned of lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph in Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia, East Bardhaman, and North and South 24 Parganas. Waterlogging, traffic disruption and reduced visibility may occur during intense spells.North Bengal remains under a heavy rainfall warning, with Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Darjeeling and Kalimpong likely to receive heavy to very heavy rain. Thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph are also expected, raising the risk of waterlogging, landslides in hilly areas and rising river levels.Himachal Pradesh weather alertThe Met office has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph at isolated locations in 7-10 districts of Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.The local weather department has also forecast a wet spell across the state until June 25.Rajasthan to see strong winds and rainA fresh western disturbance has become active over Rajasthan, triggering thunderstorms and rainfall across several regions.The IMD has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 60-70 kmph and moderate to heavy rainfall at isolated places in the Bikaner division, Shekhawati region, and the Jaipur, Bharatpur and Ajmer divisions over the next 48 hours.Light to moderate rain and thunderstorm activity are also expected in parts of the Jodhpur, Udaipur and Kota divisions.Weather activity is likely to continue across parts of the Bikaner, Jaipur and Bharatpur divisions between June 21 and June 24, while rainfall may decrease in some southern districts of the state.IMD’s forecast for the next few daysThe IMD expects rain and thunderstorm activity to continue across several parts of the country in the coming days. Heavy rainfall is likely to persist in parts of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, while the southwest monsoon is expected to advance further into Maharashtra.Residents in areas under weather alerts have been advised to monitor local forecasts and take necessary precautions during thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rain.
