New Delhi, May 20 : The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast widespread rain in the southern states and a continuation of the heat wave in the northern and eastern states, in its all-India weather bulletin issued at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

'Fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds (30-40 km/ph) likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Lakshadweep, and Karnataka and Isolated to scattered light/moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds (30-40 km/ph) over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Telangana, and Rayalaseema during the next five days,' the weather bulletin stated.

It attributed the rainfall to a cyclonic circulation over south coastal Tamil Nadu and the neighbourhood, and another cyclonic circulation over north Kerala and its neighbourhood.

The IMD has also forecast a heat wave and hot and humid weather warning for the next five days in the northern and eastern states.

* Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are very likely in many/most pockets over Delhi-Haryana-Chandigarh, Punjab, Rajasthan; West Uttar Pradesh and northwest Madhya Pradesh during May 20-24.

* Heat wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of East Uttar Pradesh on May 21-22; Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and northeast Madhya Pradesh during May 20-24; Uttarakhand, Bihar on May 20; and Odisha during May 21-23.

* Hot and humid weather is very likely to prevail over Konkan and Goa, Bihar, Jharkhand on May 20-21; Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha on May 20.

* Warm night conditions are very likely to prevail over West Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan during May 20-24.

The IMD bulletin also said that conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon over some parts of Southeast Arabian Sea, some more parts of Maldives, Comorin area and South Bay of Bengal, and some more parts of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Andaman Sea during the next 2-3 days.

/IANS