Red alerts in Kerala, heatwave in North: IMD forecasts turbulent weather across India. Check details

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a comprehensive update on India’s evolving weather landscape. A well-marked Low Pressure Area persists over the Eastcentral Arabian Sea off the South Konkan coast and is forecast to intensify into a depression within the next 24 hours. This development signals continued active weather across the west coast and a high-alert phase for fishermen and residents in coastal regions.

Conditions are turning favourable for the onset of the Southwest Monsoon over Kerala within the next two days, marking the formal beginning of the rainy season in India.

Rainfall highlights

• Extremely heavy rains are likely over Konkan & Goa (May 23-25), Kerala & Mahe (May 24-26), Coastal Karnataka and South Interior Karnataka (May 24-27), and ghat areas of Tamil Nadu (May 25-26).

• Madhya Maharashtra can expect extremely heavy rainfall on May 25.

• Rainfall intensity is expected to impact urban life with possible flash floods, road closures, and traffic disruptions.

Heatwave conditions

While the west and southern regions brace for downpours, severe heatwave conditions continue to grip West Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir and East Rajasthan.

Delhi-NCR outlook

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts unstable weather over Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) during May 23-26 with partly cloudy skies, thunderstorms, and gusty winds on the horizon.

• May 23: Expect light rain with thunderstorm/lightning and gusty winds up to 50 kmph by evening or night. Maximum temperatures will range between 37-39°C, slightly below normal.

• May 24: Light rain and thunderstorms likely, with maximums between 36-38°C. Winds from the southeast will vary between 10-20 kmph.

• May 25: Thundery developments expected, with temperature highs of 36-38°C and lows of 26-28°C. Maximums will remain below normal, minimums may rise slightly above normal.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a series of weather alerts for Kerala over the next five days, warning of intense rainfall across multiple districts. Red, orange and yellow alerts have been declared from May 23 to May 27, covering both northern and southern parts of the state.

In addition, the IMD has issued orange colour warnings for moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds (50-60 kmph) over Goa, interior Maharashtra, south and central Chhattisgarh (including Raipur), south Odisha, East Uttar Pradesh, west Bihar, Jharkhand and north Gangetic West Bengal during the next three hours.

A red alert has been declared in Kannur and Kasaragod on May 24, and subsequently in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod on May 25. The red alert extends to Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod on May 27. These areas are expected to receive extremely heavy rainfall and have been marked for heightened vigilance.