IMD issues rain, thunderstorm alerts across India amid five cyclonic systems

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued widespread rainfall and thunderstorm warnings across multiple regions of the country, triggered by five active cyclonic circulations. The weather disturbances are expected to influence the weather over Northwest, Central, and Northeast India until May 11. 

The five active systems include a Western Disturbance over West Madhya Pradesh, upper air cyclonic circulations over Northwest Madhya Pradesh, Northeast Assam, and Southeast Bay of Bengal, as well as a trough extending from the Northeast Arabian Sea to West Madhya Pradesh.

Under their influence, fairly widespread moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds areis likely over Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand this week. Scattered rain is also expected over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan till May 11.

Northeast India, including Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura, is likely to experience heavy rainfall and thunderstorms till the end of the week.

In Central India, areas such as Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Chhattisgarh are expected to receive consistent rainfall, with thunder squalls likely through May 10. Western and Southern India — including Konkan, Goa, Gujarat, Marathwada, and Madhya Maharashtra — will also see wet conditions through the weekend.

Southern states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, and Coastal Andhra Pradesh are forecast to receive scattered rain with thunderstorms till May 11.

Additionally, a fresh Western Disturbance is set to impact the Western Himalayan region from May 9, while the Southwest Monsoon is expected to advance into the South Andaman Sea and Southeast Bay of Bengal around May 13.

Meanwhile, the IMD has also issued heatwave warnings for parts of West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand till May 13, with hot and humid weather likely over parts of southern India today.