Heavy-Rain Warning: Red Alert For Himachal Pradesh; Delhi To Get More Showers Till Sept. 5

The India Meteorological Department has sounded a red alert for parts of north-western India, warning of intense rainfall over the next few days. Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh are expected to see particularly severe conditions until Sept. 3, as per the IMD forecast.

Rainfall has already disrupted life in several states. The National Capital Region witnessed heavy showers on Sept. 1, leaving many stretches of road waterlogged and traffic paralysed from Gurugram to Noida.

According to the IMD, rainfall over the past 24 hours exceeded 21 cm in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, western Rajasthan and parts of Telangana. Very heavy rain was also recorded in Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and eastern Rajasthan.

The IMD has issued a red alert for the southern districts of Himachal Pradesh for the next two days, with forecasts of heavy rainfall shifting to the state’s eastern belt on the third day. Landslides, flash floods and rising river levels remain risks in the hill states.

The IMD stated that a low-pressure area developed over the northwest Bay of Bengal at 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 2, under the influence of an upper air cyclonic circulation over the northeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining Myanmar coast. It is expected to intensify in the next 24 hours and move west-northwestwards, crossing Odisha thereafter.

In Delhi, skies are expected to remain overcast with spells of moderate rain on Sept. 2. Intermittent showers are likely to continue until Sept. 5. On Sept. 1, Delhi’s maximum temperature dropped to 30.8°C, nearly four degrees below normal, while the minimum stood at 23.7°C, also below average.

Heavy rainfall is also on the cards for western states. Gujarat, Konkan-Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and coastal Karnataka are forecast to receive sustained showers between Sept. 3 and 6. The IMD has specifically warned of extremely heavy rainfall in Gujarat on Sept. 4 and 5, particularly across Saurashtra-Kutch and the Ghat regions.

As per the IMD forecast, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and western Madhya Pradesh are predicted to experience intense rainfall between Sept. 3 and 5. From Sept. 2, Odisha, West Bengal and parts of Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh will begin to see heavy showers, while the north-eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura are also expected to be affected.

The weather agency has warned of possible flash floods, urban waterlogging, traffic disruption and damage to crops and kutcha houses. Landslides in mountainous areas and sudden surges in river levels remain serious threats.

As such, people need to remain vigilant, avoid non-essential travel and stay away from areas prone to waterlogging or landslides. Residents also need to follow official updates and local administration advisories to minimise risks during this period of extreme weather.

On Sept. 2, according to IMD, several states across the country are expected to experience widespread heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated regions likely to see extremely heavy downpours, particularly in Odisha. Other places predicted to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall include Chhattisgarh, east Rajasthan, Gangetic West Bengal, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Vidarbha and Uttar Pradesh.

Heavy rainfall is also expected at isolated locations over Assam and Meghalaya, coastal Andhra Pradesh, coastal Karnataka, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Konkan and Goa, central Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and strong winds of 40-50 kmph are likely in isolated areas of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Karnataka, while winds of 30-40 kmph are expected over Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Telangana.