Heatwave conditions to reel over most parts of north India on June 3: IMD

Heatwave conditions are likely to reel over most parts of the country on June 3, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday.

"Heatwave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and Odisha on June 3," said the weather bulletin.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a meeting to review the situation of the ongoing heatwave in the country and the preparedness for the onset of monsoon.

The Prime Minister was briefed that as per IMD forecasts, the heat wave is likely to continue in parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

This year, the monsoon is likely to be normal and above normal in most parts of the country and below normal in parts of Peninsular India, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) stated.

"Fire audit and electrical safety audit of hospitals and other public places must be undertaken regularly," PM Modi instructed.

He also said that regular drills for the maintenance of firelines in forests and productive utilization of biomass must be planned.

The Prime Minister was informed about the usefulness of the "van agni" portal in the timely identification of forest fires and their management.

With scorching heatwaves gripping several parts of the country, at least 56 deaths from heatstroke have been confirmed in multiple states by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), sources said on Saturday.

The Southwest Monsoon hit the coast of Kerala and advanced into parts of northeast India from Thursday, said the Indian Meteorological Department.

This year's Monsoon onset is two days earlier as the usual date of the onset is on June 1.

This year, Kerala experienced widespread pre-monsoon rains.

In 2023, rainfall over the country as a whole during the monsoon season (June-September), was 94 per cent of its long-period average.