IMD predicts light to heavy rain across India this week

New Delhi: As the monsoon continues its journey across the country, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday predicted light to heavy rainfall in several regions of the country in the next few days.

IMD scientist Akhil Shrivastava said the national capital can expect sporadic rainfall in the coming days. "Monsoon officially arrived in Delhi on June 29, accompanied by light showers. Our forecast suggests that during the next seven days, Delhi may experience light to heavy rainfall.

There will also be periods of partly cloudy skies, with chances of thunderstorms and lightning," he said.

Moving beyond the capital, the IMD has issued significant warnings for several states expecting intense rainfall. "Extremely heavy rainfall, exceeding 20 cm in 24 hours, is expected in eastern Rajasthan and the ghat areas of central Maharashtra," Shrivastava said.

"States like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Odisha are also under heavy rainfall alerts. In Gujarat, Konkan, and Goa, rainfall will be widespread, and Karnataka may witness heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated areas today."

The hilly states are also on alert, with heavy to very heavy showers forecast for parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Eastern Uttar Pradesh is likely to receive significant rainfall, prompting precautionary warnings.

Highlighting the severity, Shrivastava outlined the alert levels: “A yellow alert has been issued for most parts of Uttar Pradesh. Eastern Rajasthan and central Maharashtra are under red alert due to extreme rainfall potential. Orange alerts have been sounded in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Gujarat, Karnataka, and northeastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.”

He advised residents in affected areas to stay informed and take necessary precautions as weather conditions evolve throughout the week.