Heavy rains may persist across much of India; flash floods likely in hills
New Delhi: Heavy rainfall is expected to continue across large parts of northwest, central, eastern and northeastern India over the next week, with the country's
New Delhi: Heavy rainfall is expected to continue across large parts of northwest, central, eastern and northeastern India over the next week, with the country's weather bureau warning of localized flash floods in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. On Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said isolated heavy rainfall is likely over many parts of northwest and adjoining central India as well as eastern and northeastern states during most days of the week. Meanwhile, Kerala, coastal, and south interior Karnataka are expected to receive isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next two to three days. In northwest India, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is forecast over Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand through 12 August.
Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh are expected to witness widespread showers on 7 August. Rainfall activity is also likely to intensify over eastern Uttar Pradesh during 8-9 August and across Rajasthan between 7 and 10 August. Central India is also expected to remain under the influence of active monsoon conditions. Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is likely over Madhya Pradesh during 7-9 August, Chhattisgarh on 7 August and again during 11-12 August, while Vidarbha is expected to receive widespread rainfall during 11-12 August. In eastern India, Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim are likely to receive widespread rainfall throughout the week. Bihar is expected to witness widespread rainfall till 9 August, while Jharkhand may see intense rainfall during 6-8 August and again between 10 and 12 August.
Across the northeast, widespread rainfall is forecast over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura throughout the week. Assam and Meghalaya are expected to receive widespread rainfall on 7 August and again on 12 August, while Arunachal Pradesh is likely to witness scattered rainfall through the forecast period. Amid heavy rainfall, the IMD has also issued a low to moderate flash flood risk for the next 24 hours in several districts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Districts including Shimla and Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh, and Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Nainital and Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand are among those identified as vulnerable to localized flooding, surface run-off and inundation. In Kerala, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Idukki and Kottayam remain under flash flood watch.
