The meteorological department said a low pressure area originating from north Chhattisgarh has weakened but remains active over eastern Madhya Pradesh and adjoining regions. Although the system is expected to weaken further over the next 24 hours as it moves west-northwestwards, it will continue to bring widespread rainfall across central India.
Maharashtra and Gujarat are the worst affected
Continuous heavy rains have severely affected normal life in several parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Waterlogging has been reported in many urban areas, slowing down traffic and causing inconvenience to commuters. Transport services have also been affected by flooding and poor visibility.
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway saw a temporary suspension of traffic following heavy rains and a landslide. Authorities later restored traffic after clearing debris, but several routes in the region continue to experience delays. Rail services have also been affected in some areas as rain continues unabated.
Heavy rain warnings for several states
The IMD has issued red and orange alerts for Gujarat, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha and western Madhya Pradesh, where extremely heavy rainfall is expected. Some places in these regions could receive more than 204.5 mm of rain in 24 hours.
Heavy to very heavy rain is also likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, eastern Madhya Pradesh, eastern Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, interior Karnataka, Marathwada and sub-Himalayan regions of West Bengal and Sikkim. These areas can receive between 115.6 mm and 204.4 mm of rain.
Meanwhile, yellow alerts have been issued for Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand, western Uttar Pradesh, western Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir, where heavy rainfall is expected.
Storms, strong winds and maritime warning
In addition to heavy rain, the weather department has warned of thunderstorms, lightning and gusts of wind in several states. Karnataka and Telangana are expected to experience winds reaching speeds of 50 to 60 kmph. Similar weather conditions, accompanied by lightning, are likely to occur in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The IMD has advised people to avoid open spaces, isolated trees and electric poles during storms. Motorists have also been urged to take extreme caution when driving in adverse weather conditions.
