Weather News LIVE: June rainfall 20% below average; relief from heat expected soon

Weather Today News LIVE: Hot weather conditions continued to persist in Haryana and Punjab on Wednesday, with Nuh reeling at 45.3 degrees Celsius, reported news agency PTI.

Haryana’s Faridabad recorded a maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius, while Gurugram recorded a high of 43.6 degree Celsius. Sonipat recorded a high of 44.8 degrees Celsius, and Hisar 44.4 degrees Celsius.

Check out these news stories related to the weather in India today.

Amid the heatwave conditions in Delhi, the national capital’s peak power demand reached an all-time high of 8,656 MW at 3:06 pm, the highest ever in the history of the national capital, the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) data stated on Wednesday, reported ANI.

High surface temperatures are impacting flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, resulting in flight delays.

A senior official in the Ministry of Civil Aviation said that flight operations have been impacted because of high temperatures and following safety guidelines. Flights get delayed sometimes or wait for the wind speed to settle down, reported ANI.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the Monsoon is expected to hit Delhi-NCR around June 30.

Dust storms and light-intensity rainfall activity are also expected in Delhi today, it added, according to ANI.

The south-west monsoon, which has slowed down after hitting Mumbai, is gathering pace and is expected to progress further by June 21-22, an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) told PTI today.

“Monsoon activity was weak after it hit Mumbai, but it is slowly turning moderate. It will strengthen by June 21-22 and coastal Maharashtra is likely to receive good rainfall. Central Maharashtra, including Marathwada, will receive light to moderate rainfall during this time,” Sunil Kamble, Head of the Regional Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai, said.

On weather conditions, IMD scientist, Dr Naresh Kumar tells ANI: “We had issued a red alert for Punjab, Haryana, Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar yesterday, but today conditions have improved. There has been rainfall activity in Bihar. For Punjab, Haryana and Delhi NCR, we have issued an orange alert but for West Uttar Pradesh we have issued a red alert for the next 2 days, there is a red alert for Uttar Pradesh as well today.

“In Delhi NCR, the temperature is expected to be around 40 degrees C. Monsoon is expected to hit Delhi NCR around 30th June. Even today, we can expect dust storms and light-intensity rainfall activity in Delhi…” he adds.

Delhi water minister Atishi said on Wednesday that she has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention on the ongoing water crisis in the national capital, adding that she will sit on an indefinite fast starting Friday if the issue is not resolved.

“…If Delhi’s rightful share of water is not provided in the next two days, I will start a satyagraha for water. I will start an indefinite fast till Delhi gets its water,” the minister said while addressing media persons. Read more.

“It’s so hot right now, just stepping outside for ten minutes feels unbearable. Tap water feels like it’s boiling, and there’s no relief from the heat. It’s almost unlivable,” reads a post from a Delhi-based entrepreneur on the social media platform X. Puneet Siinghal’s post is one among thousands of such tweets that have appeared on X (formerly Twitter) over the last few days as the national capital scorches under one of its hottest summers on record. Read more.

IMD has marked both East and West Uttar Pradesh as red alert areas, and has said that people of all ages are vulnerable to heatstroke due to high temperature, urging people to take precautions accordingly. Orai in West Uttar Pradesh has today’s highest maximum temperature. The IMD also stated that it will take longer for Uttar Pradesh to escape heatwave conditions as compared to Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi.

The IMD in its June 19 press release stated that Orai had the highest maximum temperature of the day at 46.4 degree celsius. It also noted that maximum temperatures were in the range of 44-46 in Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Uttar Pradesh as well as some parts of north Madhya Pradesh, south Bihar and north Rajasthan

In a press conference today, the PWD minister stated that 28 lakh people in Delhi were not getting water. She added that if Delhi was not provided their rightful share of the water by the 21st then she would have choice but to stage a satyagraha.

Delhi has been facing a water crisis due to extreme heatwave conditions and has been in conflict with the state of Haryana over their water sharing policy

The IMD has stated that heavy to very heavy rainfall will take place across 6 districts in sub-himalayan Bengal and Sikkim. The IMD especially noted 23 cm of rain recorded in Darjeeling. Heavy rainfall in these regions is likely to continue for the next 3 days, the IMD said.

The normal range of rainfall during June is 55-60 m but parts of Tamil Nadu have recorded up to 160 mm as well. Tiruchirapalli is experiencing heavy rainfall and Chennai has been experiencing 4-5 times more rain than normal.

The AQI in Delhi today stands at 89.0, indicating moderate air quality in the city. People with respiratory issues should be cautious, especially while planning outdoor activities. Delhi’s average temperature is also 40 degree celsius, making it necessary for people to avoid the outdoors and remain hydrated to avoid heat stroke or heat related health problems.

The IMD has predicted squally weather with gusty winds and possibilites of thunderstorms on the east and west coast of India and has warned fishermen to not venture out to sea today.

Thunderstorm conditions and squally winds are also expected inland in Uttarakhand and East Madhya Pradesh

The IMD has identified flash flood threats on June 19 for Assam – which is already facing floods across 15 districts, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Kishanganj district of Bihar. The notice from the weather department stated that surface run-off and water inundation after rainfall can lead to severe flooding in several districts. The IMD also stated that the risk for flooding continues until 11: 30 pm tonight, until when heavy rainfall up to 180 mm is expected.

Delhi experienced the warmest night in 12 years on Wednesday over eight degrees above the season’s normal, IMD data suggests. The previous warmest night recorded in the city was in June, 2012 when the minimum temperature settled at 34 degrees Celsius.

Hospitals in the Delhi-NCR area are seeing an increase in number of patients with complaints of heat stroke and exhaustion. Doctors have advised elderly and immuno-compromised patients to avoid stepping outdoors.

In a TOI report, five deaths were recorded due to the heatwave in Delhi. The deaths were reported by hospitals in areas where there were water shortages as well.

According to climate scientists, Asia as a whole is dealing with extreme heat this summer in a trend they say has been worsened by human-driven climate change.

Mumbai is experiencing light to moderate rains across the city, which is expected to continue throughout the day. The IMD has issued a yellow alert in the city till June 20, while neighbouring cities like Raigad, Ratnagiri and Pune have been issued a yellow alert till June 23.

The IMD also predicted heavy rainfall at isolated places in Maharashtra from June 19-23.

The early onset of monsoon in Assam has led to severe rainfall across 15 districts in the state. 26 people have lost their lives since the rainfall started on May 28, according to Assam State Disaster Management Authority. The Karimganj district has taken the worst hit with 1, 52,133 people displaced and only 5,114 taking shelter in relief camps. On June 18, the state received rain 156 per cent more than normal, leading to massive flooding.

Delhi’s minimum temperature today is eight degrees above normal, the highest recorded in June in 13 years, according to data from IMD. The city has been experiencing the ‘warm night’ phenomena for 6 days consecutively, and is expected to ease up with predictions of gusty winds and light thunderstorms.

The IMD has forecasted a maximum of 43 degrees celsius today.

India has seen 20% less rainfall than usual since the monsoon began on June 1, with no significant progress in the rain-bearing system from June 12 to 18, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). However, the IMD forecasts favorable conditions for the monsoon to advance into parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh, northwest Bay of Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand in the next three to four days. From June 1 to 18, India received 64.5 mm of rainfall, which is lower than the long-term average (LPA) of 80.6 mm.