Delhi weather: Rain relief likely for Capital today, monsoon cover for most parts of India by June 27

North India continues to grapple with intense heat, but relief is on the way as monsoon rains bring much-needed respite to several regions. After a slow start, the monsoon is now advancing northward, reaching large parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, the northwest Bay of Bengal, sub-Himalayan Bengal, and parts of Bihar.

In the coming days, rain is expected in parts of Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Additionally, heavy rainfall is forecasted for regions in Konkan and Goa, Central Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Over the next five days, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh are likely to experience heavy rain.

Delhi's Weather Outlook
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts rain, thunderstorms, and dust storms for Delhi and its adjoining areas on Friday. Thursday saw a slight relief as light rain and thunderstorms helped ease the heatwave conditions. The maximum temperature settled at 40 degrees Celsius, while the minimum was recorded at 29.6 degrees Celsius.

Heatwave Conditions Abate
Northern India, including Delhi, has been suffering from a prolonged heatwave, resulting in increased heat stroke cases and advisories from the Centre for hospitals to set up special units. However, the IMD reports no heatwave conditions are expected over most parts of the country in the next four to five days. The monsoon is predicted to cover central India and most parts of northwest India between June 27 and July 3.

Impact of Western Disturbance
A western disturbance on Thursday brought some relief to parts of northern India, which had been enduring intense heat since June 7. The IMD noted that under the influence of this disturbance and lower-level easterlies from the Bay of Bengal, scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall has been observed over Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, north Haryana, Chandigarh, and north Uttar Pradesh. Isolated very heavy rainfall and hailstorms were also reported in these areas.

The extended heatwave has led to numerous heat stroke casualties, particularly affecting underprivileged communities. The Centre has issued advisories for hospitals to prepare for more heat-related cases as the weather remains extreme.