Weather update: IMD predicts rainfall in flood-hit Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and THESE states today; check forecast

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of light to heavy rainfall over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim today. The announcement comes as the toll in flash flood in Sikkim mounted to 18 on Thursday.

Ninety eight people, including 22 army personnel, remained missing after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim in the early hours of Wednesday triggered the flash flood, Chief Secretary V B Pathak told news agency PTI.

So far, 2,011 people have been rescued, while the calamity has affected 22,034 people, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) said in a bulletin. As per estimates, over 3,000 tourists, including foreigners, are stuck in various parts of Sikkim.

While the panic situation continues, IMD in its bulletin, said, "Light or moderate fairly widespread to widespread rainfall or thunderstorm and lightning with isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on 06th and over Andaman & Nicobar Islands during 05th to 09th October."

IMD weather updates:

Meanwhile, the IMD has also predicted light to very heavy rainfall over Assam and Meghalaya till October 7, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur on October 6. It further stated, "Light or moderate scattered rainfall or thunderstorm and lightning is very likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on 09th October."

The weather agency also stated that a low pressure area lies over western parts of Gangetic West Bengal and neighbourhood. "It is very likely to move gradually northeastwards towards Northwest Bangladesh during next 48 hours and become less marked thereafter," it said on Thursday.

A trough runs from the cyclonic circulation associated with the low pressure area over western parts of Gangetic West Bengal and neighbourhood to East Uttar Pradesh in lower tropospheric levels.

"A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect Northwest India from the night of 08th October, 2023," IMD said.

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