New Delhi,   Delhi-NCR and the plains of northwest India reeling under oppressive heat and in some pockets, heat wave conditions, can look forward to a little relief as India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday predicted rains over this region on June 16 and 17.

After a series of heat wave spells starting March, through April and May, isolated pockets of northwest India have been experiencing yet another round of heat wave in June too. On Sunday, heat wave prevailed in some pockets over Delhi and in isolated pockets over south Haryana.

Heat wave conditions also prevailed in isolated pockets over southeast Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, southwest Bihar and north Odisha.

The IMD forecast said that a fall in maximum temperatures by 2-3 degrees Celsius is very likely over northwest India during next three days, while no significant change in maximum temperatures is very likely over east India during next two days but will gradually fall by 2-3 degrees Celsius thereafter.

However, under the influence of consecutive Western Disturbances and lower level easterlies, isolated to scattered rainfall with thunderstorm/lightning is very likely over western Himalayan region - Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand - and adjoining plains comprising Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi and Rajasthan till June 15.

It is likely to become fairly widespread to widespread rainfall over western Himalayan region and scattered to fairly widespread rainfall over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and east Uttar Pradesh on June 16 and 17.

Isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, north Punjab, and north Haryana on June 16, the IMD forecast said.