New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS) The national capital is likely to experience heavy rainfall and thunderstorms on Monday, according to the latest forecast issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Delhi is expected to record a maximum temperature of around 34 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 28 degrees Celsius.

Several parts of western India may also face another spell of intense rainfall. An upper-air cyclonic circulation continues to persist over southwestern Rajasthan and adjoining areas, while another such system is present over the northwestern Bay of Bengal, influencing weather conditions across several regions.

The IMD has issued alerts for heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds in 19 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Wind speeds of up to 80-85 kmph are likely in some areas, while isolated hailstorms have also been forecast in parts of the country.

For Delhi, the weather office has warned of heavy rain and thunderstorms, accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.

In Uttar Pradesh, warnings for heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds have been issued for Noida, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Aligarh, Agra, Mathura, Moradabad, Kanpur, Bareilly, Hardoi, Sitapur, Shahjahanpur, Bijnor, Gonda, Basti, Bahraich, Kheri, Pilibhit, Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Pratapgarh, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Etah, Budaun, Jaunpur, Fatehpur and Kannauj. Winds may reach 70-75 kmph in these areas.

Lucknow is expected to record a maximum temperature of 29 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 27 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, air quality in Delhi remained in very poor category. The highest readings were recorded at Anand Vihar (335) and Bawana (240), followed by Rohini (136), Mundka (134), IIT Delhi (132), Chandni Chowk (131), Dwarka Sector-8 (124), Nehru Nagar (117), Sonia Vihar (112), CRRI Mathura Road (113), Ashok Vihar (108), North Campus (104) and Patparganj (103). Other stations also reported elevated pollution levels.

–IANS

jk/dpb