IMD warns of thunderstorms and heavy rain in 15 states; temperatures to fall by 4-5 degrees Celsius

New Delhi: The weather has seen sharp swings over the past few days. Under the influence of a cyclone, conditions could worsen again in many parts of the country. On Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of heavy rain accompanied by lightning in 15 states, including Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.

Winds could blow at 60 to 70 km per hour during this period. A alert for severe thunderstorms has also been issued for four states.

Heavy rain is also likely in five states of North India. Snowfall is expected in more than three states, while a risk of landslides has been flagged in some areas of the hill states. Warnings of lightning strikes have been issued for more than five districts of East India.

The forecast is also significant for the cold. Temperatures could fall by 4 to 5 degrees Celsius in more than 10 states. Strong winds coming from the Bay of Bengal could bring the first chill to East India. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are also expected to see a change in weather over the next three days.

The reasons for the disturbance have also been outlined. Cyclonic circulations in the upper atmosphere persist over north Haryana and adjoining areas, as well as over Goa and neighbouring parts. Because of this, alerts for rain and thunderstorms are in place for Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Assam, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The changing weather could also hit crops.

State by state, Delhi may see light rain, with winds at 15 to 20 km per hour. In Uttar Pradesh, an alert for light to moderate rain and strong winds has been issued for Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Meerut, Agra, Mathura, Raebareli, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Fatehpur, Kanpur, Badaun, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Basti and Azamgarh.