New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a rain alert for several states in the country, as a western disturbance is likely to affect the weather conditions in the coming days. According to the IMD, heavy rain accompanied by strong winds is expected in West Bengal today, especially in the districts of Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum, Bardhaman, Murshidabad, Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata. The IMD has advised people to avoid outdoor activities and stay indoors.
Rain is also expected in some districts of Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh today, due to the influence of the western disturbance and a cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan and adjoining Rajasthan. The IMD has warned of thunderstorms and lightning in these areas and asked people to take precautionary measures.
Apart from this, there is a possibility of light to moderate rain in some parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh today, due to the interaction of the western disturbance with the easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal. The IMD has forecast isolated hailstorms in some pockets of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and advised farmers to protect their crops from damage.
The northeastern states of India, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura, will also witness rainy conditions today, due to the presence of a trough of low pressure extending from east Bihar to south Assam. The IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rain in some places of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and moderate to heavy rain in the rest of the northeastern states. The IMD has also issued a landslide warning for the hilly areas of these states and urged people to avoid travel.
Meanwhile, the weather will remain pleasant in North India for the next few days, as the minimum temperatures are likely to remain above normal. However, hailstorm activities will be seen in some areas of Uttarakhand, due to the western disturbance. Snowfall has also been predicted in the sub-Himalayan region, including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim, in the next 24 hours. The IMD has said that no significant change is likely in the minimum temperatures over northwest India and adjoining central India during the next 24 hours.
