IMD Warns of Heavy Rain Across India; Flood Risk Rises in Northeast and Himalayan States

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a nationwide weather alert warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall across several parts of the country over the coming week, with extremely heavy rainfall expected at isolated places in Assam and Meghalaya on August 4 and 5, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on August 4. The weather agency has also forecast heavy rainfall over Kerala, Coastal Karnataka and South Interior Karnataka during the next six to seven days.

According to the IMD, the active monsoon is being driven by multiple weather systems, including the monsoon trough, cyclonic circulations over Northeast Rajasthan, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Northeast Assam, along with a Western Disturbance over the Jammu region. These systems are expected to keep rainfall activity vigorous across large parts of India through the week.

The weather office reported that during the past 24 hours, extremely heavy rainfall was recorded over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Konkan, while very heavy rainfall occurred in Uttarakhand, West Rajasthan, Madhya Maharashtra, Kerala and Coastal Karnataka. Heavy rainfall was also observed across Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, East Uttar Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and Interior Karnataka.

In Northwest India, widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds is likely over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh over the coming days. The IMD has warned of isolated heavy rainfall across many of these regions, with very heavy rainfall expected in Uttarakhand during the forecast period.

Across East and Northeast India, the rainfall activity is expected to intensify significantly. Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Sikkim and the northeastern states are likely to witness widespread rain with thunderstorms. The IMD has specifically forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy falls over Assam, Meghalaya, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, raising concerns over flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas.

In West India, Konkan and Goa are expected to receive widespread rainfall through August 9, while Madhya Maharashtra could experience isolated very heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, South Peninsular India, including Kerala, Coastal Karnataka and South Interior Karnataka, is likely to continue receiving widespread monsoon showers, with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall and strong surface winds in several districts.

The IMD has also issued fishermen warnings, advising against venturing into several parts of the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal due to rough sea conditions and strong winds during the next few days.

The weather agency cautioned that the intense rainfall may lead to waterlogging, flash floods, localized flooding, landslides, mudslides, disruption of road and rail traffic, damage to vulnerable structures, reduced visibility, and interruptions to helicopter services in affected regions. People have been advised to monitor official weather updates, avoid taking shelter under trees during thunderstorms, stay away from water bodies during lightning, and move to safer locations if conditions deteriorate.

Flash flood guidance has identified moderate to high risk for parts of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, while low to moderate flood risk has been forecast for districts in Assam, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir, where saturated soil conditions could trigger rapid runoff and localized inundation.