The southwest monsoon has temporarily stalled in Madhya Pradesh after advancing into 15 districts, but it is likely to move further across the state within the next three to four days, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Until then, strong winds, thunderstorms and rain are expected to continue in several parts of the state. An alert for thunderstorms and rain has been issued for 45 districts, including Bhopal, on Sunday. Storm and rain alert in 45 districts The IMD has forecast thunderstorms and rain in Bhopal, Raisen, Sehore, Rajgarh, Vidisha, Indore, Jhabua, Alirajpur, Dhar, Burhanpur, Barwani, Khandwa, Khargone, Ujjain, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Agar-Malwa, Shajapur, Dewas, Narmadapuram, Betul, Harda, Jabalpur, Katni, Narsinghpur, Chhindwara, Pandhurna, Seoni, Balaghat, Mandla, Dindori, Rewa, Satna, Sidhi, Singrauli, Mauganj, Maihar, Shahdol, Umaria, Anuppur, Sagar, Panna, Damoh and Chhatarpur. Light rain is also likely in Gwalior, Sheopur, Morena, Bhind, Datia, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashok Nagar, Niwari and Tikamgarh. These areas may witness sunshine during the day before weather conditions change by evening. Gwalior-Chambal continues to face heat The monsoon is yet to reach the Gwalior-Chambal region, keeping temperatures high. Gwalior continues to record temperatures above 40°C, with heatwave-like conditions prevailing in several areas. Rain and strong winds cause damage Bhopal witnessed rain accompanied by thunder and lightning on Saturday night, leading to power outages in several localities. The season’s first intense spell of rain and strong winds caused widespread damage in Shivpuri. Trees and electricity poles were uprooted, while a roadside dhaba and a house collapsed. Several cars, motorcycles and a petrol pump also suffered damage. Heavy rain led to waterlogging on roads and underbridges in Ratlam. Jhabua also received heavy showers, while Vidisha recorded rain with thunder and lightning after a hot day, bringing relief from the heat. Lightning-related incidents were also reported. A farmer was struck by lightning in Pandhurna, while a young man died after being hit by lightning in Sehore. Rainfall deficit improves across the state Continuous rainfall over the past four days has improved Madhya Pradesh’s rainfall figures. Between June 1 and now, the state was expected to receive 107.3 mm (4.2 inches) of rainfall. So far, it has received 63.5 mm (2.5 inches), leaving the state with a 41% rainfall deficit. As of June 24, the deficit stood at 50%, indicating an improvement of 9 percentage points. Eastern Madhya Pradesh continues to face a 67% rainfall deficit, while western Madhya Pradesh is 16% below normal. Districts with below and above normal rainfall Below-normal rainfall: Anuppur, Balaghat, Chhatarpur, Chhindwara, Damoh, Dindori, Jabalpur, Katni, Maihar, Mandla, Mauganj, Narsinghpur, Niwari, Pandhurna, Panna, Rewa, Sagar, Satna, Seoni, Shahdol, Sidhi, Singrauli, Tikamgarh, Umaria, Alirajpur, Barwani, Betul, Bhind, Datia, Dewas, Dhar, Guna, Gwalior, Harda, Jhabua, Khandwa, Khargone, Morena, Narmadapuram, Raisen, Rajgarh, Ratlam, Shivpuri, Ujjain and Vidisha. Above-normal rainfall: Bhopal, Ashok Nagar, Agar-Malwa, Mandsaur, Neemuch, Sheopur, Burhanpur, Indore, Shajapur and Sehore. June weather trends in five major cities Post navigation VIDEO | Tazia touches high-tension wire in Ratlam during Muharram:3 die of electrocution; lineman suspended, 2 workers dismissed Lightning claims 17 lives in first week of monsoon:Know why MP records highest number of lightning strikes
