New Delhi: Day temperatures are likely to increase by two to four degrees Celsius over northwest India, including Delhi, Haryana and Punjab from the next week, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast.

“There is likely to be a gradual rise in maximum temperatures by two to four degrees Celsius from the next the four to five days”, IMD’s Sunday bulletin said.

According to the IMD, the maximum or day temperature has remained below normal by two to three degrees Celsius in many parts of the country except over some parts of Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Northeast and south Peninsular India, where these are near normal. But, now there will be a gradual shift towards hot weather, it said.

“Hot and humid weather is also likely to continue over Kerala and Mahe during the next four days, over Rayalaseema during the next three days and over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during the next two days”, the weather forecast agency said in its bulletin on Sunday.

“Temperatures have been largely below normal over the northwest due to back-to-back western disturbances which led to incursion of cool air but now we are not expecting any major WD immediately. Due to direct sunshine, temperatures will start increasing,” said M Mohapatra, director general, IMD.

“No major weather activity is expected over northwest India now. This will lead to both rise in day and night time temperatures. Maximum will reach around 33 degrees Celsius over Delhi next week and rise further thereafter,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, climate and met at Skymet Weather.

However, there is likely to be thunderstorms and hail activity over central and east India, the IMD said. A trough is running from west Vidarbha to north Kerala in lower tropospheric levels.

“An anti-cyclonic circulation is lying over the westcentral & adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal in lower tropospheric levels. Under their influence, widespread light to moderate rainfall with isolated thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds are likely over Gangetic West Bengal from March 17 to 21 with the possibility of hailstorms and squalls (speed reaching 50-60 kmph) on March 19”, the IMD added.

Moreover, scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds over Jharkhand, Odisha, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and East Madhya Pradesh from March 17 to 20 and Bihar from March 19 to 21 are also likely, the weather forecast agency said, adding, isolated hailstorm also very likely over Vidarbha, East Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh from March 17 to 19 and Jharkhand and Odisha on March 19.

“Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Odisha on March 19 to 20 and Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on March 19”, it said.

Scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with isolated thunderstorms and lightning are also very likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura from March 18 to 21, IMD informed.

It added, scattered to fairly widespread light/moderate rainfall with isolated thunderstorms and lightning very likely over Telangana from March 17 to 21, with the possibility of hailstorms on March 17 and 18.