Written By: S Kumar
IMD Red Alert: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has put out new weather warnings as the southwest monsoon keeps pouring widespread rainfall over big chunks of the country. A few states are likely to see heavy to extremely heavy rain in the coming 24 hours. The weather agency went ahead and issued both Red Alert and Orange Alert messages.
This spell of strong monsoon activity has already caused waterlogging, annoying traffic issues, overflowing rivers, and some pockets of localised flooding in multiple areas. Local officials have asked people to stay watchful and skip non-essential travel during spells of very heavy rain. This stick to the official weather updates.
The IMD has placed parts of Maharashtra, West Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal under a Red Alert. This may indicate the likelihood of extremely heavy rainfall that could disrupt normal life.
In Maharashtra, cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and the nearby regions may keep getting persistent rainfall. This may lead to waterlogging and road snarls. In Madhya Pradesh, districts around Bhopal and Indore, plus adjoining areas, could get intense showers. At the same time, in the northeast, cities such as Guwahati and Shillong are also expected to face very heavy rainfall. This raises the risk of flooding and landslides. In the north of West Bengal, around Siliguri, rain may continue for a while due to the active monsoon setup.
Several other states have been put on Orange Alert, predicting heavy to very heavy rains. These have been Gujarat, Bihar, East Rajasthan, Kerala, Coastal Karnataka, South Interior Karnataka, West Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and East Madhya Pradesh.
Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Patna, Kochi, Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Meerut may witness heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds. In urban areas localised flooding, reduced visibility and traffic delays are possible.
Active monsoon conditions are expected to continue to affect several large cities.
Heavy rain along with waterlogging in low-lying areas is likely at Mumbai and Pune. Bhopal and its adjoining districts may experience heavy downpours while Guwahati and Shillong are vulnerable to floods due to incessant rains. Heavy rain in the neighbouring hill regions could hit Siliguri, disrupting road connectivity and raising the risk of landslides.
“Residents in these cities are encouraged to stay tuned to local weather updates. to avoid travelling on flooded roads whenever possible.”
The IMD said the southwest monsoon is active over central, western, southern and northeastern India. Winds bringing moisture from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, along with favourable atmospheric conditions, are likely to continue widespread rainfall for the next few days.
With these weather systems, isolated spells of very heavy rain are likely in some areas. as of now, increasing the chances of flash floods, rivers overflowing and landslides in vulnerable locations.
The IMD has advised people in the affected states to remain vigilant and follow the advisories issued by the local authorities.
People were urged not to travel unless necessary, to stay away from flooded roads and rivers, to secure items outside and to keep emergency supplies ready and monitor official weather updates during the heavy rains. Those living in hilly regions should remain alert for possible landslides and road closures.
The weather department said that active monsoon conditions are likely to continue over many parts of the country in the next few days. Very heavy rain is likely over western, central, northeastern and southern states. Isolated places are likely to get very heavy to extremely heavy rain.
“The rain will assist in water storage and agriculture but could also cause disruption in transportation, power supply and daily life in vulnerable areas. The IMD has been issuing regular weather updates, and residents are advised to keep track of these. You may follow instructions issued by local administrations as the weather situation develops.