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IMD predicts ‘heavy to very heavy rainfall’ in over 20 states this week: Weather updates
Regions along Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts are on red alert due to heavy rain exceeding 15 mm per hour and strong winds.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday warned of widespread heavy to very heavy rainfall across large parts of the country, including Maharashtra, over the next few days, with some regions likely to experience extremely heavy showers. In total, 26 states and Union territories may be affected.
In western India, Konkan, Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and Gujarat are forecast to receive extremely heavy rainfall on August 19-20. Similar conditions are expected over coastal and north interior Karnataka on Tuesday, while very heavy showers are predicted in Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the coming days.
The IMD has also predicted heavy rainfall for Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, West Bengal and Sikkim between August 19 and 24. Northern states, including Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh, are also likely to see heavy rainfall during this period.
“Very to very heavy rainfall along with isolated extremely heavy rainfall is very likely at isolated places over Coastal Karnataka, Gujarat, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and North Interior Karnataka,” the IMD bulletin stated.
In the northeast, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura are likely to witness intense rainfall, particularly between August 20 and 24.
The IMD has also cautioned of strong winds (40-50 kmph) in coastal and southern states, along with thunderstorms and lightning in several regions. Parts of Jammu & Kashmir, including Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad, may also experience heavy rain with gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.
Regions adjacent to Delhi, including Noida, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad are put under an yellow alert and will be experiencing light thunderstorms with maximum surface wind speed less than 40 km per hour.
Although, there has been no warning issued for rain in Delhi, according to IMD's nowcast at 1.26 pm, isolated parts of Delhi are experiencing downpour with overcast skies and gusty winds.
“Light to moderate rainfall accompanied by light thunderstorm and lightning is very likely to occur at many places of Delhi & NCR , Kaithal, Narwana, Rajaund, Assandh, Safidon, Barwala, Jind, Panipat, Gohana (Haryana) Muzaffarnagar, Bagpat, and Khekra,” Delhi's regional met department wrote on its official X handle.
Strong winds to whip southern India today
Strong surface winds are forecasted at isolated places over Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Mahe, Konkan, Goa, Odisha, Saurashtra and Kutch, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry and Karaikal today.
Winds gusting up to 60 km per hour are likely along the coasts of north Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, and Comorin areas.
Gulf of Mannar, Sri Lanka coast, and the Bay of Bengal shoreline across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and adjoining Bangladesh coasts will also be experiencing similar strong winds.
The squally winds, that will be entering the western coast of India, will be originating off the coasts of Somalia, Oman, parts of southwest, east and central Arabian sea, said IMD in its forecast bulletin.
Stronger winds speeding up to 65 km per hour are forecasted over the coasts of south Gujarat, Konkan, Goa, adjoining east-central and few parts of north-east Arabian Sea, along and off Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts adjoining west-central and north-west parts of Bay of Bengal.
Red alerts for rain in the country
The IMD has put regions situated along the Maharashtra coast, including Mumbai, Alibag, Raigad Reserve, and Shrivardhan, on a red alert for the second consecutive day after heavy rain has been battering the state since Friday.
Along the western coast of India, Okha, Dwarka, Navadra, Mangrol and Diu in Gujarat have been placed on a similar red alert with a forecast of heavy rain exceeding 15 mm per hour and thunderstorms with strong surface winds, gusting up to 41 to 61 km per hour, marked with a high close to ground lightning probability.
Junagadh, Porbandar and Veraval in Gujarat, have also been put under a red alert according to IMD's stationwise nowcast as of 9.03 am on Tuesday.
