Gujarat braces for severe rainfall, Mumbai on orange alert; IMD predicts heavy rainfall for most states

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall across most of the states on August 24. The weather agency has issued an orange alert for Mumbai with the possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall. A red alert has been issued for Gujarat, which is expected to see extremely heavy rainfall. 

The agency has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places of Gujarat, Vidarbha, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, for Saturday. 

“Heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy rainfalls very likely at isolated places over Gujarat region; heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Assam & Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura, Konkan & Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Saurashtra & Kutch, the IMD said in a bulletin. 

Heavy rainfall at isolated places over Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Marathwada, Kerala & Mahe, Telangana, Coastal & North Interior Karnataka, the bulletin added. 

Coastal areas in the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, along and off Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, north Andhra Pradesh is expected to see squally weather today with wind speed reaching 35 kmph to 45 mph gusting to 55 mph. 

Warning for Mumbai 

Several parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Raigad and Ratnagiri districts are likely to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall on August 24, IMD said. An orange alert is in place for Palghar, Thane, Mumbai, Raigad and Ratnagiri districts of Konkan from August 24. 

A low-pressure system over West Bengal and Jharkhand, along with another over the Arabian Sea, is expected to cause widespread rain across Maharashtra for the next few days. These systems are likely to bring continued rainfall across the state over the next 48 hours. Orange alerts remain in place for Konkan and western Maharashtra on August 25 and 26. 

Pune and Satara districts of western Maharashtra and Amravati, Bhandara, Chandrapur and Gondia districts of Vidarbha has been issued orange alert for today. 

An orange alert is issued for predictions of heavy to very heavy rainfall exceeding 64.5 mm in 24 hours, potentially disrupting normal life and causing flooding in low-lying areas. 

Respite for national capital 

The national capital can breathe easy today with the prediction of pleasant weather for August 24. Delhi is likely to witness a generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms. A yellow alert has been issued for today of potential disruption due to light to moderate rainfall across the areas. 

Delhi witnessed unprecedented rain in August this year with 269.9 mm of rainfall so far. This marked the highest rainfall in the last decade, as per data from India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

Delhi recorded the highest rainfall recorded since August 2013, as per the weather department. It stated that the number of rainy days has also exceeded expectations.