By Sixteen Indian states are on alert after the IMD forecast heavy rainfall and strong winds through much of the coming week.
The forecast, running from September 8 to 14, covers Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha, with winds up to 70 kmph expected.
In Uttar Pradesh, districts including Prayagraj, Kanpur, Mirzapur, Meerut, Aligarh, Mathura, Varanasi and Gorakhpur have been flagged for heavy rainfall.
West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, Bankura and South 24 Parganas districts are expected to see heavy rain through Thursday.
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand were forecast to see rain and thunderstorms, raising the risk of landslides in the hills.
Wind speeds of up to 70 kmph were forecast in the most affected areas, adding to the hazard posed by heavy rainfall alone.
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand were forecast to see rain accompanied by thunderstorms, conditions that raise the risk of landslides in the hill states.
Eastern India, including Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha, was flagged for heavy showers and strong winds as part of the same weather system.
The IMD’s 16-state alert spans Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, among other states.
Authorities in flood-prone districts have been advised to monitor river levels closely given the scale and duration of the forecast rainfall.
September rainfall of this intensity typically coincides with the tail end of the southwest monsoon season, before the seasonal withdrawal pattern begins later in the month.
The IMD’s forecast covers a wide window from September 8 to 14, meaning the wet spell affecting these states is expected to persist for close to a week.
In Uttar Pradesh, specific districts flagged for heavy rainfall include Prayagraj, Gautam Budh Nagar, Kanpur, Mirzapur, Deoria, Shahjahanpur, Meerut, Ambedkar Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, Balrampur, Bahraich, Varanasi, Ramnagar and Gorakhpur.
Monsoon rain, Chennai, India, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
