The ongoing heat wave in the country is expected to spread across more parts of north and central India in the next five days, before subsiding towards the end of the month, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. A severe heat wave is prevailing over parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Telangana, reported PTI. The states where it would spread in the period between May 17 and May 21 are Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra, the IMD said in its forecast.

This comes a day after the IMD said the southwest monsoon is going to be delayed by six days and set over Kerala on June 7. However, South Indian states would get some relief from the intense heat as they could receive some rain in the coming days, IMD Director General Laxman Singh Rathore had said.