Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): State may receive below-normal rainfall during this year's monsoon season, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The weather department has predicted that 47 districts, including Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur, could receive only 90 to 95 percent of their normal seasonal rainfall.
Weather Forecast
The IMD has issued a rain alert for several districts on Wednesday, including Barwani, Khargone, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Harda, Narmadapuram, Betul, Chhindwara, Jabalpur, Seoni, Balaghat, Mandla and Anuppur.
Meanwhile, heat is expected to continue in many districts, including Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, Morena, Bhind, Shivpuri, Chhatarpur, Satna, Rewa and Singrauli.
Although the monsoon has not yet entered the state, pre-monsoon showers have been very active. Between June 1 and June 9, the state received more than half an inch of average rainfall. Fourteen districts have recorded rainfall between 100 percent and 672 percent above normal during this period.
Niwari recorded the highest excess rainfall at 672 percent, receiving 14.7 mm of rain against its normal 1.9 mm. Agar-Malwa recorded 385 percent excess rainfall, while Bhopal received 53.7 mm of rain against its normal 13.3 mm, which is 304 percent above normal. Neemuch, Mandsaur, Sheopur, Sehore, Rajgarh, Harda, Dewas, Ashoknagar and several other districts also recorded much higher rainfall than usual.
At the same time, many parts of the state witnessed intense heat on Tuesday. Khajuraho in Chhatarpur district recorded a high of 46 degrees Celsius, one of the highest temperatures seen there in the last eight years. Temperatures crossed 40 degrees Celsius in 26 cities across the state.
According to the weather department, Datia recorded 44 degrees Celsius, while Rajgarh, Rewa and Tikamgarh touched 43 degrees. Gwalior recorded 42.8 degrees Celsius. Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain and Jabalpur also saw temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius.
In its latest forecast, the IMD has also predicted the possibility of hailstorms on June 12 in Morena, Bhind, Tikamgarh and Chhatarpur. Earlier, these districts were under a heatwave alert, but the forecast has now changed due to changing weather conditions. Most parts of the state are likely to experience strong winds and rainfall over the next few days.
