North India may receive rainfall from April 5 to 9

New Delhi: The hilly areas of north India and the plains are likely to receive widespread rainfall from April 5-9, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.

It said heatwave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets over southwest Rajasthan during the next 24 hours, over east Rajasthan during the next two days, over Maharashtra's Vidarbha during the next three days and over Madhya Pradesh during April 7-9.

It said a fresh western disturbance is very likely to affect western the Himalayan region from April 6.

Under its influence, scattered to widespread rainfall/snowfall is very likely over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh during April 5-7 and over Uttarakhand during April 6-9.

Isolated thunderstorm, lightning/gusty winds over the western Himalayan region during April 5-7 and over adjoining plains during April 6-7.

Isolated rainfall over Punjab, Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh during April 5-7.

Hailstorm is also likely over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad on April 6 over Himachal Pradesh on April 5 and 6 and over Uttarakhand on April 6-7, the Meteorological (MeT) Department said.

The IMD said dust storm/thunderstorm and gusty winds (speed reaching 30-40 kilometres per hour) likely at isolated places over west Rajasthan during April 5-7.

IMD also said that March was third warmest in 121 years in terms of monthly average maximum temperature.

The IMD, in its review for the month, said the observed monthly average maximum, minimum and mean temperature for the country as a whole during March this year are 32.65 degrees Celsius, 19.95 degrees Celsius and 26.30 degrees Celsius, respectively, against the normal 31.24 degrees Celsius, 18.87 degrees Celsius and 25.06 degrees Celsius based on the climatology period 1981-2010.

"The all India average monthly maximum temperature during March 2021 with 32.65 degrees Celsius is the warmest in the last 11 years, and third warmest in the last 121 years with 2010 and 2004 as the ever warmest and second warmest month with 33.09 degrees Celsius and 32.82 degrees Celsius, respectively," the IMD said. Several parts of the country had recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in March.