IMD Issues Red Alert For Gujarat, Maharashtra; Delhi-NCR To Experience Showers

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa for Saturday, predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in these regions.

The weatherman predicts that intense rainfall will continue to affect Gujarat and south peninsular India until Sunday.

Photo Credit: PTI

A low-pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal has transformed into a depression, which moved towards Odisha. The depression, located near Puri, Gopalpur, and Paradip, is moving slowly towards the northwest.

According to the IMD's Friday forecast, "The system is expected to move northwestwards and cross the Odisha coast, near Puri, as a depression on Saturday morning. Thereafter, it would further move west-northwestwards across Odisha - Chhattisgarh and weaken gradually."

In response to the depression's landward movement, the IMD issued a red alert for Telangana, central Maharashtra, coastal Goa, and Gujarat for Saturday. An orange alert was issued for Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Kutch, Saurashtra, and coastal Andhra Pradesh for the weekend.

Rainfall of 115-120 mm is expected to hit these areas over the next 24 hours. Additionally, the IMD forecast indicates that moderate to heavy rain will continue in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and eastern Rajasthan for the next three days.

The IMD also issued a 'signal 3' warning for the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh due to the ongoing heavy downpour, affecting Kalingapatnam, Visakhapatnam, and Kakinada, and warning vessels of a possible cyclonic storm.

On Friday, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh experienced heavy rainfall, leading to school closures in several areas as rainwater flooded homes and streets.

In Delhi, light, isolated rainfall is expected to continue for three days. The maximum temperature in the national capital and its surrounding regions is predicted to be around 36 degrees Celsius on Saturday, with light rain expected in Delhi on July 21 and 22.

From June 1 to July 19, all-India rainfall totaled 324.4 mm, approximately 98% of the normal for this period. At least 15 states and Union Territories have recorded normal or above-normal rainfall so far.