Thundersquall to hit Bihar, West India to experience intense heat on Wednesday

India's weather has been anything but predictable this week. The country is caught between two worlds right now, with the north and east being battered by violent thunderstorms, hailstorms, and heavy rain, while central and western India bake under an intense early-summer heat wave.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that much of it will continue, and in some places worsen, on Wednesday, May 13.

WHAT HAPPENED ON MAY 12?

Tuesday brought dramatic weather across multiple regions.

The lowest minimum temperature for May 12 was 16.6°C recorded in Adampur, Punjab.

Heavy rainfall was recorded across Assam, Meghalaya, and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim. The heaviest single-station rainfall in the 24 hours up to Tuesday morning was 8 cm at Hazuah in Assam's Barpeta district, followed by 7 cm at Washabari Tea Estate in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal.

Thunderstorms swept through parts of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Jammu & Kashmir saw violent wind gusts and hailstorms, while isolated spells of hail also struck parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Meanwhile, heat wave conditions persisted across West Rajasthan, parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, with minimum night temperatures in West Rajasthan running more than 5°C above normal, making even the nights uncomfortably warm.

The intense heatwave scorching these regions stems from a strong high-pressure weather system, called anticyclone, over northwest India. This system has created a heat dome with clear skies and sinking air, driving temperatures above 45°C in several areas.

This development aligns closely with the forecast issued on May 6 by meteorologists and matches the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) outlook for above-normal heatwave days in May.

HOW WILL THE WEATHER BE ON WEDNESDAY?

Wednesday is forecast to be turbulent across the north and east.

Jammu & Kashmir and Bihar are likely to see powerful thundersqualls, which are sudden, intense windstorms, with gusts reaching 50 to 60 kmph.

Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand face a risk of hailstorms alongside thunderstorms. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in Assam, Meghalaya, and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, where isolated spots could receive exceptionally intense showers.

Thunderstorms with gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph are forecast across a wide swathe including Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and parts of Karnataka.

The south isn't getting off easy either.

Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and coastal Andhra Pradesh can expect thunderstorms with lightning and moderate gusts through the day.

HEAT TO STAY

While the stormy north grabs attention, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and West Madhya Pradesh remain under heat wave warnings on May 13 as well.

Temperatures in these regions are significantly above normal, but some pockets in West Rajasthan could see temperatures of more than 5°C.

The IMD warns of a high risk of heat-related illness and has advised people to stay indoors during peak afternoon hours, running from noon to 4 pm.

Crucially, the IMD has flagged that conditions are now becoming favourable for the onset of the southwest monsoon over parts of the southern Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands by the end of this week, a sign that India's most important seasonal shift is beginning its approach, even as this week's volatile weather continues.

In simpler words, monsoon is almost here.