Weather report: Red alert in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka as IMD warns of extremely heavy rain; schools shut

Representative image

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for June 16 across parts of coastal Karnataka Goa and Maharashtra, warning of extremely heavy rainfall, localised flooding and potential disruptions. The alert remains active even as the IMD withdrew earlier red warnings for Kerala and Tamil Nadu, placing them instead under an orange alert due to expected heavy downpours.

In Kerala, torrential rain battered several districts through Sunday, prompting authorities to declare a holiday for all educational institutions on Monday in 11 districts including Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur, Wayanad, Malappuram, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Idukki, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta and Kasaragod. A partial closure was announced in Alappuzha's Kuttanad taluk. Yellow alerts have been issued for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha, IndiaTV reported.

Six other districts in the state are under an orange alert as the IMD forecasts heavy to very heavy rainfall at least until June 18. Coastal areas, including Mahe, may witness sea waves rising up to 3.4 metres. Fisherfolk have been strictly advised to avoid venturing into the sea till Tuesday.

Neighbouring Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district also felt the impact, with the administration ordering the closure of schools in Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Kundah, Gudalur and Pandalur taluks following persistent rainfall and strong winds.

As per Live Mint, in its latest bulletin, the IMD highlighted that “extremely heavy rainfall (>20 cm/24 hours) is likely at isolated places over Coastal Karnataka on 16th June,” with similar conditions expected in Goa. Light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds is likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Telangana till June 19.

As the southwest monsoon progresses further into Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, widespread rain is expected across these regions. Gujarat and parts of Maharashtra are likely to see intensified spells from June 18 onwards. Wet conditions are expected in Uttar Pradesh from June 18, in Himachal Pradesh from June 20 and in Haryana by June 21. Monsoon rains are set to continue in Rajasthan and Uttarakhand until June 21.

In the northeastern states, the IMD forecasts persistent light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds, for the next week. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in Assam and Meghalaya between June 16 and 21 and in Arunachal Pradesh from June 17 to 21. Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura are also likely to see sustained wet weather through the week, according to Live Mint report.

Meanwhile, parts of Delhi received light to moderate showers on Sunday, providing a brief respite from the scorching heat. The IMD issued an orange alert for several parts of the capital including northwest, southwest and southeast Delhi, with forecasts of more rain and wind speeds up to 60 km/h expected by Monday evening.

Delhi’s maximum temperature on Sunday stood at 41.8 degrees Celsius - nearly two degrees above normal - while key weather stations like Safdarjung, Lodhi Road and Pusa recorded between 27 mm and 33.5 mm of rain. The downpour led to sporadic power outages in a few localities. However, a significant drop in pollution was noted, with the city’s AQI improving to the “satisfactory” category at 62, according to the Central Pollution Control Board, as per IndiaTV report.

Elsewhere, Varanasi emerged as the hottest city in the country on Sunday, recording a maximum temperature of 43.2 degrees Celsius. Other hot zones included Orai and Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, Bathinda in Punjab, Sirsa in Haryana, Sidhi in Madhya Pradesh and Churu in Rajasthan, where temperatures hovered between 41 degrees Celsius and 42 degrees Celsius.