IMD predicts rain, hailstorm across India over next few days
What's the story
Summer heat is likely to stay away for the next few days as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rainfall and hailstorm over several parts of the country. As per IMD, heavy rainfall is very likely over isolated regions of north, northwest, central, east, and southern India, while hailstorm is very likely in northwest, central, eastern, and western India.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The maximum temperatures in many parts of the country have remained below average throughout April due to rain as well as hailstorm in some places. The showers were triggered by multiple western disturbances in northwestern India and cyclonic circulations over northwestern, central, and eastern India. Meanwhile, at 35.32 degrees Celsius, Delhi saw the lowest maximum average temperature this year in April since 2015.
IMD
Rain, thunderstorms very likely in north, northwest India
The IMD has predicted light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms very likely over the Western Himalayan region and scattered to widespread downpours over the plains of northwest India for the next five days. Heavy rainfall is expected in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu on Monday and Tuesday, while duststorms are likely in isolated areas of western Rajasthan on Wednesday and Thursday.
Rain
Almost all regions witnessed rains over weekend
Rains coupled with thunderstorms were also reported across the states in the northeast, east, west, northwest, and the peninsula from Saturday to Sunday. Similar conditions were reportedly observed in eastern and western Rajasthan, Gujarat's Kutch and Saurashtra, central and eastern Maharashtra, and western Andhra Pradesh. Most states in India, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Goa, among others, witnessed rainfall.
Hailstorm
Hailstorms likely in north, northwest India
The IMD also predicted hailstorm activity at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh until Tuesday, in Uttarakhand until Thursday, Rajasthan on Wednesday, and over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi on Monday and Tuesday. Similar conditions are likely in central Maharashtra and Marathwada on Monday. Meanwhile, some places in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Sikkim, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh saw hailstorms on Sunday.
Twitter Post
Hail damages crop in central, west Madhya Pradesh
As per reports from Shajapur district of West MP, hailstorm and rains reported from Kalapipal and Shujalpur areas, which has caused enormous damage to onion and other crops. @NewIndianXpress@TheMornStandard@santwana99@Shahid_Faridi_ pic.twitter.com/OSRYrMju3N
— Anuraag Singh (@anuraag_niebpl) April 30, 2023
Reason
What is causing unseasonal rains?
The IMD listed reasons behind the unseasonal showers across India, which include western disturbance as a cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan in lower and upper tropospheric levels. Rajasthan in the lower tropospheric levels and a cyclonic circulation over southwest UP and one over south Chhattisgarh in the lower troposphere. An active western disturbance is likely over northwest India from Monday night, the IMD added.