Heavy rain warning for NW and central India: IMD

Delhi could also receive moderate rains on Thursday.

New Delhi: Widespread and heavy rain is likely over northwest India till August 29, according to India Meteorological Department.

Prediction for heavy rain made by the weather department for several regions including North and Central India. (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

IMD’s Impact based severe weather warning bulletin issued on Wednesday also warned that there is likely to be heavy rain over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, east Uttar Pradesh, parts of Bihar and Sub Himalayan West Bengal on August 27 and 28.

Heavy to very heavy rain is also likely over several parts of central India like Chhattisgarh, east Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha till August 30.

IMD had forecast moderate to heavy rain in Delhi on Thursday but that was delayed scientists said as the moisture was concentrated around east UP. IMD had to withdraw the heavy rain warning for Delhi on Wednesday.

“A lot of rain is being recorded in east UP. The southwesterly winds are moving towards east UP but our models are showing that Delhi, Punjab and Haryana will also record moderate to heavy rain on August 27 (Thursday). The low pressure area over Bay of Bengal has moved inland to Gangetic West Bengal bringing widespread rains to Bengal and Odisha,” said RK Jenamani, senior scientist, IMD.

According to a Regional Meteorological Centre alert Thursday morning, the Capital is likely to see only light rain during the day.

Many parts Odisha have recorded extremely heavy rain (over 20 cm) since Tuesday including : Kendrapara and Sundergarh-23 cm each; Boudhgarh and Mayurbhanj-21 cm each; Keongjhargarh, Sonepur and Jagatsinghpur- 20 cm each; Balrampur-19 cm and Paradip-18 cm.

A well-marked low pressure area is lying over coastal areas of Gangetic West Bengal and north Odisha. It is very likely to move west-north-westwards across interior parts of Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, north Chhattisgarh, north Madhya Pradesh and south Uttar Pradesh during next 4-5 days.

The monsoon trough (line of low pressure) is active and is very likely to remain active during next 2 days. In addition, the convergence of strong lower level southwesterly winds from Arabian Sea likely to continue over northwest India during next 2 days.

Due to these favourable conditions, widespread with very heavy rain is very likely over Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand on August 26; over Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, East Madhya Pradesh during August 26 to 28; over West Madhya Pradesh on August 28 and 29 and over east Rajasthan on August 29 and 30.

Extremely heavy rain is also very likely over Odisha on August 26; over Chhattisgarh on August 26 and 27; over Vidarbha on August 27 and over east Madhya Pradesh on August 27 and 28.

Moderate thunderstorms accompanied with lightning are very likely over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, East Uttar Pradesh, East Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand during next 24 hours till Thursday.

Monsoon rain over the country since June 1 is 8% excess with 4% excess over east and northeast India; 13% deficiency over northwest India; 15% excess over central India; and 23% excess over south peninsula.