IMD predicts light to moderate rainfall in eastern, north-east regions in next few hours

In its recent report, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy falls to continue over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, and Meghalaya for the next 4-5 days on Sunday June 16.

The department has also said that there are chances of heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds in the region.

In a post on X, IMD said that there are chances of  'light to moderate' rainfall at many places, with heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, West Assam, Meghalaya, and West Arunachal Pradesh during the upcoming 3 hours.

Light to moderate rainfall at most places with occasional intense spells of rainfall accompanied with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds very likley over Sub-Himalyan west Bengal, Sikkim, West Assam, Meghalaya, West Arunachal Pradesh during next 3 hours. pic.twitter.com/4KZuOTLd0Y

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) June 16, 2024

On Friday, the IMD issued orange and red alerts in West Bengal and north-eastern states, while predicting heavy rainfall in these regions in the next few days.

It's important to understand what warnings are issued and what these warnings signify:

The green alert: No warning or all clear
It signifies that the weather conditions are accurate and people can carry out their day-to-day activities without any problems.
This is the lowest level of alert and signifies that no severe weather conditions are expected.

The Yellow Alert: Watch or Beware
The yellow warning signifies that people need to stay updated about the potential severe weather and that the weather conditions are uncertain. While the weather may not be a threat to the general population, people engaged in certain activities may be at potential risk.

The orange alert: Be prepared
The orange warning is the next stage of the yellow warning; it tells us that the weather could potentially worsen, becoming a hindrance to plans and a threat to life and property. People should be prepared for significant changes in weather conditions and ensure they are equipped to handle emergencies, according to IMD.

The red alert: Take action or warning
The red warning is the highest level of weather warning and indicates that extreme weather is expected and the conditions will not be favorable for people.
During a red alert, there's a significant risk to life and property, and residents are advised to take immediate action to protect themselves.

Below are the weather comdtions of different regions, predicted by the IMD:

• Arunachal Pradesh is also to receive heavy (64.5–115.5 mm) to very heavy rainfall (115.5–204.4 mm) on June 17th and 18th, 2024, to very heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday, the IMD said, issuing an orange alert for the northeastern state.
• Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura are also to receive heavy (64.5–115.5 mm) to very heavy rainfall (115.5–204.4 mm) on June 17 and 18, 2024, it said in another post on Monday and Tuesday.
• The sub-Himalayan parts of West Bengal and Sikkim are likely to be badly affected by heavy (64.5–115.5 mm) to very heavy (115.5–204.4 mm) rainfall with extremely heavy falls (above 204.4 mm) on June 15 and 16, and likely to get heavy (64.5–115.5 mm) to very heavy rainfall (115.5–204.4 mm) with extremely heavy falls (above 204.4 mm) during June 17–19, 2024, the IMD said, issuing a red alert for those regions. The met office posted on 'X'.
• The IMD has also issued a red alert for Assam and Meghalaya owing to isolated heavy (64.5-115.5 mm) to very heavy rainfall (115.5-204.4 mm) with extremely heavy falls (above 204.4 mm) on 15th and 16th June and likely to get heavy (64.5-115.5 mm) to very heavy rainfall (115.5-204.4 mm) with extremely heavy falls (above 204.4 mm) during 17th and 19th June 2024, the IMD stated.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon has marked its arrival in Maharashtra in regions like Navsari, Jalgaon, Amravati, Chandrapur, and in different regions like Bijapur, Sukma, Malkangiri, Vizianagaram, and Islampur.

According to the prediction, the conditions show that the Southwest Monsoon is ready to enter more parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and the northwest Bay of Bengal during the next 3–4 days.

While some states welcome the monsoon season, there are still some states like Delhi that are facing intensive heatwaves and water crisis. 

Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are very likely in parts of Uttar Pradesh during June 16–18 and Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi on June 16 and 17, as well as in some parts of Bihar and Jharkhand and many parts of the North. 

Hence, a decrease in intensity thereafter over the above regions would be seen during the next 3 days and may decrease thereafter.
Odisha will also face hot and humid weather on June 17–20, 2024.