National weather alert: Monsoon set to advance over Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea; heavy rain likely in multiple regions

The India Meteorological Department IMD on Friday said conditions are becoming favourable for the advance of the southwest monsoon over parts of the south Bay of Bengal Andaman Sea and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands around May 16In its latest All India Weather Summary and Forecast Bulletin issued on May 15 the weather department also noted that a wellmarked lowpressure area persists over the southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal along with an associated cyclonic circulation extending up to 58 km above mean sea levelThe IMD has forecast widespread rain thunderstorms lightning gusty winds and heavy rainfall activity across several parts of the country over the coming daysThunderstorm warning for Northwest IndiaIsolated light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40ndash50 kmph is likely over Jammu amp Kashmir Ladakh GilgitBaltistan and Muzaffarabad on May 15 and 16Punjab Haryana Chandigarh and Rajasthan are also expected to witness similar thunderstorm activity on May 15Heavy rainfall alert in Northeast IndiaIn Northeast India scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching 40ndash50 kmph is likely over Nagaland Manipur Mizoram and Tripura from May 15 to 17Assam and Meghalaya are expected to receive similar weather activity between May 16 and 18The IMD has also forecast isolated heavy rainfall over Arunachal Pradesh on May 15 and 16 while Assam and Meghalaya are likely to witness heavy rain between May 15 and 17 and again on May 19 and 20Nagaland Manipur and Mizoram may receive isolated heavy rainfall from May 17 to 20 while very heavy rainfall is likely over Assam and Meghalaya on May 18Rain gusty winds likely in East IndiaThe weather department has predicted scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms lightning and gusty to squally winds reaching 40ndash50 kmph over SubHimalayan West Bengal and Sikkim between May 15 and 17Bihar is likely to witness similar weather conditions from May 15 to 20 while Jharkhand may receive rainfall and thunderstorms on May 15 and 16 Odisha is also expected to witness thunderstorm activity on May 15Additionally thunderstorms with wind speeds of 50ndash60 kmph gusting up to 70 kmph are likely over Bihar on May 16 and 20 and over Jharkhand on May 17 and 18Heavy rain warning for Andaman amp SikkimThe IMD has forecast isolated heavy rainfall over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on May 15 and 18 and over SubHimalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on May 15Very heavy rainfall is also likely over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands SubHimalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on May 16 and 17Central India to witness thunderstormsIn Central India isolated light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms lightning and gusty winds reaching 40ndash50 kmph is likely over Vidarbha on May 15 and over Chhattisgarh from May 15 to 17Rain activity expected in Maharashtra GoaKonkan and Goa are likely to witness isolated light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms lightning and gusty winds on May 15 and 16Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada are also expected to experience similar weather conditions during the same periodHeavy rain likely across South IndiaSouth Peninsular India is expected to witness scattered to fairly widespread thunderstorms lightning and gusty winds reaching 40ndash50 kmph over Kerala and Mahe Interior Karnataka Telangana and Rayalaseema between May 15 and 18Lakshadweep may witness similar weather activity on May 15 while Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam are likely to receive rainfall and thunderstorms from May 15 to 17The IMD has also predicted isolated heavy rainfall over Tamil Nadu Puducherry and Karaikal between May 15 and 19 Kerala and Mahe between May 15 and 17 and South Interior Karnataka during the same periodAdditionally isolated hailstorm activity is likely over North Interior Karnataka on May 15