IMD predicts heavy rain over central India; showers likely in Delhi too

In its weather forecast issued Wednesday evening, the Met department said there will be “intense rainfall spell over central parts of the country during the next five days”.

Widespread and heavy rains are expected over different parts of north-west India including the Western Himalayan region and central India until Thursday, India Meteorological Department (IMD) authorities said on Wednesday.

Commuters wade through a water-logged stretch of road, along NH-24, near Mayur Vihar, in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

Delhi recorded moderate rains till 5.30 pm and more rainfall is likely in the next 24 hours, Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the regional forecasting centre of the India Meteorological Department, said.

In its weather forecast issued Wednesday evening, the Met department said there will be “intense rainfall spell over central parts of the country during the next five days”.

It said heavy to very heavy rainfall can be expected in the coming few days in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, east and west Madhya Pradesh, east Rajasthan, Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

“There are strong moisture laden winds blowing from Arabian Sea which are bringing heavy rain to the region. This weather will continue till end of Thursday. But on August 23 and 24 also we are expecting heavy rains again because a low pressure area has formed over Bay of Bengal which will intensify into a depression,” said RK Jenamani, senior scientist, national weather forecasting centre.

A well-marked low-pressure area is lying over the northwest Bay of Bengal. It is very likely to move westwards gradually and concentrate into a Depression during next 24 hours.

Due to these favourable conditions, widespread rain with isolated heavy to very heavy spells is very likely over Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Vidarbha during the next four-five days.

Extremely heavy rain is also likely over southwest Odisha on Wednesday; Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh on Thursday and Gujarat on Saturday.

Fairly widespread and heavy rain is likely over north-west India, including Western Himalayan region until Thursday. Very heavy rain is likely over Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh on Wednesday and Uttarakhand and Punjab on Thursday; western Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday; eastern Rajasthan from Thursday until Saturday; and very heavy rain is likely also over northeastern states, except for Arunachal Pradesh, during the next three-four days, the IMD said.

“Monsoon depressions are fairly common during monsoon. In July we see at least two depressions forming. But this year we had no depressions forming till now. This will be the first depression of the season. Depressions bring heavy rain and strong winds. We are expecting extremely heavy rains in Odisha in association with the depression until end of Thursday; then over Chhattisgarh for 1-2 days; over Madhya Pradesh; and over Rajasthan and Gujarat,” said Sunitha Devi, in charge of cyclones at IMD.

Monsoon rain over the country since June 1 is 4.4% excess; 25.6% excess over south peninsula; 6.9% excess over central India; 5.8% excess over east and northeast India and 17.9% deficiency over northwest India. There is 16.3% excess rains over the country in August with 68.1% excess over peninsula India; 35.1% excess over central India; 16.6% deficiency over northwest India and 18.3 deficiency over east and northeast India as on Tuesday.