Orange Alert In Delhi As IMD Predicts ‘Heavy To Very Heavy Rainfall’ Till July 1; Fresh Flood Risk In Northeast

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast indicating heavy to very heavy rainfall in the national capital over the upcoming weekend. Following showers on Friday, which provided a much-needed relief from the scorching heat, Delhi is expected to experience intense rainfall. The IMD’s weather bulletin warns of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds with speeds ranging from 30 to 40 kmph at isolated locations across Delhi and neighboring states.

According to the latest IMD release, Delhi is expected to receive “very heavy rainfall” until July 1. The weather pattern extends to various regions, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and parts of Uttar Pradesh. IMD categorizes heavy rain as precipitation ranging from 64.5 mm to 124.4 mm in a day, while very heavy rain is defined as rainfall between 124.5 mm and 244.4 mm within 24 hours.

The monsoon current typically enters Delhi between June 27 and 29. Last year, it arrived on June 26 while the first monsoon showers of 2022 were recorded on June 30, according to official data.

IMD issues orange alert for rainfall in Delhi today

IMD has forecast cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms on Saturday, accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 30 to 40 kilometers per hour. Delhi will be under an “orange” alert due to these weather conditions. The IMD has also predicted “heavy” to “very heavy” rainfall in Delhi over the weekend. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 32 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature may dip to 25 degrees Celsius.

According to the India Meteorological Department, multiple large-scale monsoonal weather systems have created conditions conducive to mesoscale convective activity over Delhi NCR. This has resulted in intense thunderstorms and heavy rainfall during the early hours of June 28. The IMD attributed this weather activity to thermodynamic instability in the atmosphere, which is favorable for the formation of thunderstorms.

pic.twitter.com/29cROnH7J7

— RWFC New Delhi (@RWFC_ND) June 28, 2024

IMD Weather Forecast for other states

• Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are likely to experience significant rainfall on June 29th and 30th,
• Punjab is forecasted to have heavy rainfall on June 30th and July 1st.
• The IMD further anticipates heavy rainfall for Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi from June 29th to July 1st.
• Uttar Pradesh is slated to witness isolated very heavy rainfall between June 29th and 30th
• East Rajasthan expected to encounter this weather pattern from June 29th to July 2nd.
• Madhya Pradesh is likely to see heavy rainfall on June 29th. Additionally, Odisha is predicted to experience heavy rainfall from June 29th to 30th.
• Kerala & Mahe, Lakshadweep, Coastal Karnataka, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Konkan & Goa, Gujarat State, and Madhya Maharashtra can expect widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning.
• Marathwada, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam, Rayalaseema, Telangana, and North & South Interior Karnataka will likely experience scattered light to moderate rainfall.
• Chhattisgarh is likely to experience isolated heavy rainfall on the 29th and 30th.

Risk of fresh floods in Northeast

Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh are bracing for widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning on Saturday. Assam & Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura will also face similar conditions in the coming days. The IMD warns of a high risk of flash floods in certain areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and NMMT met Subdivisions within the next 24 hours.