After prolonged heat wave conditions across the country, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rain in North-West and East India from May 21 to May 24, which will reach peak intensity on Monday, May 23. Cloudy skies and thunderstorms brought some respite to Delhiites on Saturday as the city recorded a maximum temperature of 42.4 degrees Celsius, the Met department said. At the same time, the minimum temperature was recorded at 29 degree Celsius.

IMD said that isolated light/moderate rain and thundershowers are very likely to occur over Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha for the next five days. The Meteorological Department also said that there is a possibility of dust storm at isolated places in western Rajasthan between May 22 and 24. The department has predicted gusty winds reaching 30 to 40 kmph in the western state. Weather Forecast: Southwest Monsoon Countdown Starts; Light Rains Likely Over Delhi

At least 10 districts in Kerala are likely to receive heavy rains till Sunday. IMD has issued a yellow alert regarding this. At the same time, the Idukki district administration has opened the shutters of Kallarkutty and Pambala dams to release the excess water. Also, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts were on yellow alert on Saturday, while Wayanad had a yellow alert on May 22 as well. Bihar Rains: 33 Killed As Strong Winds, Heavy Rainfall Lash State; CM Announces Rs 4 Lakh Relief For Victim’s Families

For the past few days, torrential rains have started in Bihar and Assam, creating a flood situation. Over 7 lakh people have been affected in 29 districts of Assam and a total of 11 deaths have been recorded since May 13. On Friday, Chinook heavy-lift helicopters were deployed in Haflong town of Assam's Dima Hasao district to assist National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel in evacuating people stranded due to floods and landslides in the area.

Till Friday, 33 people from 16 districts died due to thunderstorm and lightning in Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the families of those who died. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also condoled the deaths. He tweeted, "Deeply saddened to learn about the number of deaths due to thunderstorm and lightning in many districts of Bihar. May God give strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense loss." "The local administration under the supervision of the state government is actively engaged in relief and rescue work for the victims," ​​he said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 22, 2022 10:22 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).