WEATHER FORECAST: Rainfall to continue till 23 March

Significant Weather Features 

♦ Due to strengthening of anti-cyclone over Bay of Bengal and consequent moisture feeding over East & adjoining Central India, scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall activity is very likely over Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal & Sikkim during 19th-22nd March with maximum intensity on 21st March. Isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall activity is very likely over East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh during 19th-21st March with maximum intensity on 20th March. 

♦ Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning/hail/gusty winds (speed reaching 30-40 kmph) is likely over Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal & Sikkim during 19th-22nd March with maximum intensity on 19th March and over Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha and East Madhya Pradesh during 19th-20th March; Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning & gusty winds (speed reaching 30-40 kmph) likely over Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam and Telangana during 19th-21st March. 

♦ Under the influence of a fresh Western Disturbance which is likely to affect Northwest India from the night of 20th March, light to moderate scattered rainfall/snowfall very likely over Western Himalayan Region on 21st March. 

♦ A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect Western Himalayan Region from 23rd March, 2020. 

Main Weather Observations 

♦ Rain/Thundershowers observed (from 0830 hours IST to 1730 hours IST of today): at a few places over Jharkhand, East Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha; at isolated places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam and Tamilnadu,Puducherry & Karaikal. 

♦ Rainfall recorded (from 0830 hours IST to 1730 hours IST of today) (1 cm or more):Bhawanipatna-4; Jagdalpur-3; Hirakud & Jharsuguda-2 each, Umaria, Gondia-1 each. 

♦ Thunderstorm observed (from 0830 hours IST to 1730 hours IST of today): at a few places over Chhattisgarh and Odisha and at isolated places over Jammu & Kashmir, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Jharkhand, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam. 

♦ Maximum Temperature Departures as on 19-03-2020: Maximum temperatures are markedly above normal (5.1°C or more) at a few places over Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh: appreciably above normal (3.1°C to 5.0°C) at a few places over Himachal Pradesh; at isolated places over West Rajasthan and Konkan & Goa; above normal (1.6°C to 3.0°C) at a few places over Saurashtra & Kutch; at isolated places over East Rajasthan, Gujarat region, Assam & Meghalaya, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam, Rayalaseema, Tamilnadu, Puducherry & Karaikal, Kerala & Mahe and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.They are markedly below normal (-5.1°C or less) at a few places over East Madhya Pradesh; appreciably below normal (-3.1°C to -5.0°C) at a few places over Bihar and West Bengal & Sikkim; below normal (-1.6°C to -3.0°C) at most places over East Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh; at a few places over Odisha and Telangana; at isolated places over Vidarbha and near normal over rest parts of the country. Today, the highest maximum temperature of 41.0°C recorded at Anantapur (Rayalaseema). ♦ Minimum Temperature Departures as on 19-03-2020: Minimum temperatures are appreciably above normal (3.1°C to 5.0°C) at isolated place over West Rajasthan and Saurashtra & Kutch; above normal (1.6°C to 3.0°C) at many places over Arunachal Pradesh; at a few places over Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep; at isolated places over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh & Baltistan,South Interior Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Rayalseema, East Rajasthan, Assam & Meghalaya, Gujarat Region, Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Telangana, West Utter Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Puducherry & Karaikal.They are below normal (-1.6°C to -3.0°C) at most places over Gangetic West Bengal; at many places over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura; at a few places over Bihar; at isolated places over East Utter Pradesh and near normal over rest parts of the country. The lowest minimum temperature of 12.9 recorded at Fatehgarh (East Utter Pradesh) over plains of the country.