IMD Issues Alert; Heavy rains likely in multiple states this week

Amid rain fury in parts of India, another active phase of the south-west monsoon is expected to begin this week, the India Meteorological Department said Sunday. The weather body issued a rainfall alert for multiple states, warning about the anticipated ‘heavy’ rainfall in states including, flood-wrecked Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand among others.

Even as heavy monsoon triggered floods and landslides in some states, rain deficiency was observed in other parts of India in the past fortnight. “A low-pressure area has developed while another cyclonic circulation will develop around Tuesday. Consequently, good rainfall is likely and may cover the rain deficiency over central and peninsular region,” said M Mohapatra, director general at the weather office. “The western disturbance will also continue to being rain to north India.”

Here’s the weather warning for states this week:

• A low-pressure area has formed over northern Odisha and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand. Thus, heavy and widespread rainfall is predicted in these regions over the next five days. The weather body said that the various districts of Odisha will witness heavy rainfall for 24 hours today. These include Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Nuapada, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Sonepur, Deogarh, Nabarangapur, Koraput, Malkangiri, Kalahandi and Bargarh districts. Additionally, upto very heavy rainfall is likely on Tuesday in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangapu, Jagatsinghpur, Khordha, Puri, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Nuapada districts.
• Himachal Pradesh which remains the hardest hit due to monsoon mayhem, will not see respite soon. The state is predicted to witness isolated heavy rainfall over the next five days, IMD said. Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and East Rajasthan will also similar weather conditions over the next three days.
• Haryana-Chandigarh are likely to see heavy rainfall during next 24 hours. Meanwhile, Delhi, which is facing flood-like situation in some parts, is likely to see generally cloudy skies with light rain and thundershowers today.
• Bihar and West Bengal and Sikkim will continue experience isolated heavy rainfall today.
• For central India, the IMD predicted “Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha on July 17 and 18 and over Chhattisgarh today.”
• IMD also said that isolated ‘heavy to very heavy’ rainfall is likely over Konkan and Goa from July 18 to 21. Meanwhile, Gujarat and central Maharashtra will also experience heavy showers in isolated pockets till July 21. Isolated thunderstorm and lightning is also likely over the region till July 17.
• Assam which is witnessing severe floods will continue to see heavy rainfall today. Meghalaya and Tripura will also experience similar weather conditions.
• For south India, the weather body said “Light to moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall is very likely to over Coastal Karnataka during till July 21.” Telangana will also see widespread rainfall till July 20 and so will Andhra Pradesh and Kerala from July 18-20.