IMD issues storm alert for March 19-20 in Haryana, says winds may hit 50kmph

Gurgaon: Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 40–50 kmph are likely in several districts of Haryana on March 19 and 20, according to an alert issued by India Meteorological Department (IMD).The forecast shows no warning for Haryana on March 17 and 18, indicating stable weather conditions. However, the weather across several districts may change afterwards due to the influence of a western disturbance, according to district-wise warnings issued by the Meteorological Centre, Chandigarh.Yellow alerts have been issued for the two days for several districts, including Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat and Rohtak. On March 20, the warning is expected to be extended to most districts, indicating more widespread thunderstorm activity. Residents have been advised to be prepared due to the risk of lightning and strong winds.Southern districts such as Gurgaon, Faridabad, Rewari, Mahendragarh, and Mewat are likely to remain under relatively milder conditions until March 19, though isolated thunderstorm activity cannot be ruled out later.Weather officials said such conditions are typically triggered by western disturbances affecting northwest India, which can bring brief spells of rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds across Haryana during the pre-summer transition period.Meanwhile, Gurgaon recorded the highest maximum temperature in Haryana at 36°C on Monday, about 6.3 degrees above normal, according to the Sohna Road weather station. Other stations in the district recorded lower readings, with Gurgaon AWS at 29.8°C, Gurgaon KVK at 30°C and NorthCap University at 31.8°C.