Rain, thunderstorm warning for Delhi today; IMD issues red alert for Kerala

THe republic of india Meteorological section (IMD) has warned of widespread thunderstorms with puffy winds o'er several parts of northwestward India in the next four to five days as the annual southwest monsoon advances over most parts of the country. According to the Met department, this is due to an upper air cyclonic circulation currently lying over west Rajasthan and another over the northern parts of central Uttar Pradesh.The IMD has predicted that heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places in Kerala over the next three-four days. The Met Centre has also issued a red alert for rainfall for eight districts of Kerala.Thunderstorms, gusty winds over northwest India in next 4-5 daysThe IMD has predicted scattered to fairly widespread light-to-moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorm and gusty winds, is likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Isolated to scattered rainfall is expected over Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan till June 2. Isolated heavy rainfall is also likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad on May 30 and 31.Red and orange alert in Kerala, schools closedThe Met department has also issued a red alert for rainfall for eight districts of Kerala, including Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kozhikode. An orange alert of rainfall has been issued for six districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha and Thrissur. Meanwhile, in view of the continued heavy rainfall, district administrations across Kerala have declared a holiday for all educational institutions in several districts on May 30. In Idukki, Night-time travel has been prohibited in the high-range areas from 7pm to 6am.Orange alert for DelhiParts of Delhi received light showers on Thursday evening, bringing little respite from the hot and humid weather. The IMD has issued an orange alert for lightning, thunderstorms and squall in Delhi for May 30. The city on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 29 degrees Celsius, 2.4 notches above the season's average.Thunderstorms in Andhra Pradesh till 31The IMD has predicted thunderstorms to occur in parts of Andhra Pradesh for three days from May 29 to 31. The thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by lightning and gusty winds with speeds up to 50 km per hour, in isolated places of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP), Yanam, South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP) and Rayalaseema.Rain, thunderstorms likely in parts of Rajasthan on May 30, 31Light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms is likely in some parts of Rajasthan over the next two days, the meteorological department said on Thursday. The department has predicted the possibility of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms in some parts of Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Ajmer and Jaipur divisions over the next two days.Early monsoon causes illness in MumbaiThe early onset of the monsoon and sudden shifts in temperature and high humidity have together triggered a sharp rise in respiratory illnesses and mosquito-borne infections across Mumbai. Major hospitals report a 20-30% increase in seasonal ailments, weeks ahead of the usual June-July surge. Dr Kirti Sabnis, infectious disease specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, confirmed a growing number of patients with respiratory complaints.(With PTI and ANI inputs)