A fresh spell of rain and thunderstorms is expected to impact several parts of the country on Wednesday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning of widespread weather activity across north, central, and eastern regions.
According to the IMD, light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40–50 kmph is likely over large parts of northwest India, including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan on March 19. Similar conditions are expected to persist through March 20.
The Western Himalayan region is also set to witness active weather conditions, with fairly widespread rainfall and snowfall forecast between March 18 and 20. Isolated heavy rainfall or snowfall is likely over Himachal Pradesh on March 19 and 20, while Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir may see intense precipitation on March 20.
Hailstorm activity is also likely in Himachal Pradesh on March 18 and 19, and across Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan on March 19 and 20.
In east and central India, scattered to fairly widespread rainfall is expected to continue through the week. States such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal are likely to witness thunderstorms and gusty winds, with isolated hailstorms forecast in some areas.
Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim may also experience heavy rainfall and squally winds around March 20.
Northeast India will continue to receive fairly widespread rainfall with thunderstorms over the next few days, although the intensity of heavy rainfall is expected to decrease after the next 24 hours.
Southern states are not exempt from the changing weather pattern. Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala are expected to see scattered rainfall along with thunderstorms and gusty winds through March 21.
The IMD has also indicated that due to large-scale thunderstorm activity, day temperatures across much of the country are likely to remain normal to below normal over the next week. No significant heatwave conditions are expected during this period.
The evolving weather system signals a temporary relief from rising temperatures, but authorities advise caution due to thunderstorms, lightning, and hailstorms that may impact agriculture and daily life.
