Severe heat from April through the final weeks of May has increased difficulties for people in India, with temperatures in the northern plains consistently rising above 45 degrees Celsius. The impact of hot winds and heatwave conditions has been visible across several districts from Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
India is currently experiencing two contrasting weather patterns. Northern and northwestern regions are under severe heat and heatwave conditions, while southern, eastern and northeastern states are witnessing rainfall and b winds, making weather conditions comparatively milder. At the same time, discussion has intensified following changes in meteorologists’ estimates regarding the pace and arrival of the monsoon.
According to the latest update from the India Meteorological Department, the monsoon is expected to reach the Kerala coast around the normal date of 1 June, although it is estimated to arrive between 2 and 4 June this time.
According to weather experts, several atmospheric and oceanic conditions are responsible for a slight delay in monsoon progression this year. Among the primary factors is an El Niño-like condition developing in the Pacific Ocean, which has affected global weather patterns.
El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon in which sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean become unusually warm. This condition affects global wind and rainfall patterns.
Rising sea temperatures contribute to an increase in global temperatures, extreme heat and heatwave conditions in several regions, heavy rainfall and flooding in some areas, and drought or reduced rainfall in others.
Scientists say that during b El Niño years, the monsoon may weaken, although its impact on the Indian monsoon does not remain uniform every year.
Temperatures have reached between 44 and 46 degrees Celsius in Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and several parts of central India. Heatwave conditions continue in many areas.
A yellow alert has been issued in Delhi-NCR. Strong hot winds ranging between 20 and 40 kilometres per hour are expected during the day, while thunderstorms and light rain are possible in the evening.
Weather conditions in Mumbai, Gujarat, Konkan and Goa remain hot and humid. However, light rain and thunderstorms are possible during the evening or night.
Rainfall and thunderstorms continue in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. A yellow alert has also been issued in some districts of Kerala. Northeastern states, including Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, have been warned of heavy rainfall and b winds. Thunderstorms and rainfall are also occurring in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
According to the weather department, monsoon progress remains slow across the Bay of Bengal and southern parts of the Arabian Sea. However, it may accelerate in the coming days if conditions become favourable. Experts say this slight delay in the monsoon is not unusual, though it indicates changing climate patterns.
