New Delhi:
Over 20 states are on alert for rain and thunderstorms on Friday, while parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are likely to see heat wave conditions. As of 2.30 pm, Delhi witnessed a temperature of 39.4 degrees Celsius.
By Saturday, heat wave conditions will be restricted to parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, extending to parts of Madhya Pradesh by Sunday. On these two days, parts of many states will continue to be on alert for rain and thunderstorms, per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). They include Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Manipur and Mizoram, among others.
IMD’s alert for May 17
Delhi, though on no alert for heat or rain, is recovering from dust storms that brought on a significant drop in air quality and visibility. Dust from northern Pakistan had advected towards Delhi-NCR across Punjab and Haryana late on Wednesday, driven by strong westerly winds over the two states, the weather department said. By Friday 9 am, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood in the ‘poor’ category at 297 , while the maximum temperature is expected to settle at 41 degrees Celsius.
Between May 16 and 18, Delhi is expected to record maximum temperatures between 40 degrees Celsius and 41 degrees Celsius, while the minimum may hover around 26 degrees Celsius.
The IMD has issued an ‘Orange Alert’ for 13 districts in Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Mau, Ballia, Kaushambi, Jaunpur, and Azamgarh. The alert signals a high risk of heat-related illnesses and calls for precautionary measures. In these regions, daytime temperatures have soared to 41 degrees Celsius, with the IMD warning that the heatwave may intensify further over the next 48 hours.
IMD’s alert for May 18
Parts of Rajasthan are experiencing severe heat with the temperature in Sri Ganganagar hitting a scalding 45.8 degrees Celsius in the last 24 hours, the Meteorological Centre told PTI. Thunderstorms with a speed of 40-50 kmph and light rains are likely to hit parts of Udaipur and Kota, while the weather is likely to remain mainly dry in the rest of the state. Strong surface dusty winds are likely to blow in the border areas of Jodhpur, and Bikaner divisions for the next three to four days.
The maximum temperature of 45-46 degrees is likely to be recorded in Bikaner, Sri Ganganagar districts on May 16-20 with a heatwave likely at some places. A maximum temperature between 42-44 degrees Celsius is expected to be recorded in most of the remaining parts. Thunderstorms and light rains are likely in the northern parts of the state on May 19-20.
More than the usual number of heatwave days are expected in the month of May, the IMD had predicted. This comes after April 2025 saw sharp weather contrasts.
The month was the 50th driest April recorded nationwide since 1901, but southern and central India recorded substantial rainfall. Maximum daily temperatures across India were the 8th highest ever recorded for April, while minimum temperatures ranked ninth highest. Western India was hit hardest by heat waves, with Rajasthan and Gujarat experiencing between 6 to 11 heatwave days, significantly higher than the average of 2 to 3. East Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha recorded 4 to 6 heatwave days, while Maharashtra and nearby areas saw slightly fewer than usual.