IMD predicts rainfall, snow in parts of country in coming days

IMD has also predicted heavy rainfall in eastern and northeast India.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has made forecasts of rain and snowfall in certain parts of the country in days to come. Even as the monsoon has retreated from most parts of India, states like Delhi, Kerala and Uttarakhand received heavy rainfall in the past few days. Experts said formation of low pressure areas and cloudbursts are behind incessant rainfall in these states.

IMD forecasted that heavy rainfall activity will continue in Uttarakhand in the next three days(HT_PRINT)

At 94.6mm of rainfall, the national capital witnessed its wettest October since 1960, according to the IMD. Just last month the city broke another record, after reporting the highest amount of rainfall since September 1944. Heavy rainfall caused waterlogging and created traffic disruptions all over the city.

Uttarakhand also witnessed incessant rainfall, leading to landslides all over the state. At least 16 people have died in various rain-related incidents so far. On Monday, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered Char Dham Yatra be halted in the state for the next three days.

IMD made a forecast of heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand for the next three days. "As predicted, rainfall activity has reduced significantly over northwest and adjoining central India from today (Tuesday). However, due to western disturbance and its interaction with easterlies at lower levels, fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall very likely over Uttarakhand on today and dry weather subsequent three days," the IMD bulletin said.

Heavy downpour battered Kerala since Friday, triggering landslides and heavy flooding across the state, and claiming at least 27 lives. Meanwhile, the IMD has issued an orange alert for districts such as Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad, most of which were earlier put on red alert.

The state administration started opening the sluice gates of many dams to release excess water, as water levels were nearing the danger mark. The state disaster management authority carried out evacuation drives for inhabitants of low-lying areas.

The weather agency has also predicted heavy rainfall in eastern and northeast India. “Intense spell of rainfall activity very likely to continue over East and Northeast India very till 20 October 2021 and reduction thereafter,” IMD tweeted, adding that “Fresh spell of rainfall activity over south peninsular India (Kerala and Mahe, Tamil Nadu and Coastal & SIK) during next 4-5 days."