Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘orange’ alert for 15 states in northern India for Tuesday and Wednesday, predicting moderate to heavy rainfall. Additionally, a ‘red’ alert has been declared for Gujarat, with extremely heavy rainfall expected on July 3 as the southwest monsoon advances across the country.
The IMD has also issued an orange alert for northeastern states on July 3, forecasting isolated heavy rainfall in several areas in northwestern India. Delhi is anticipated to experience moderate to heavy rain on Wednesday, following isolated showers on Tuesday that caused waterlogging in many parts of the capital. The Met office predicts thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds to accompany the rainfall.
The orange alert is applicable on July 3 for Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.
Northeastern states have been experiencing above-normal rainfall over the past week, resulting in severe flooding, landslides, and waterlogging. Rivers in Arunachal Pradesh have surpassed danger levels, while floods in Assam and Manipur have caused extensive damage to homes.
On Tuesday, the IMD announced that the southwest monsoon had covered the entire country by July 2, six days ahead of schedule, despite a slow start in June due to a heatwave. The monsoon reached Kerala and the northeastern region on May 30, earlier than usual by two and six days, respectively.
“The southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab today. Thus, it covered the entire country on July 2, 2024, against the normal date of July 8,” the IMD stated.
India recorded below-normal rainfall in mid-June, leading to an overall precipitation deficit for the month, with 147.2 mm of rainfall against the normal 165.3 mm, marking the seventh lowest since 2001. This year marks the third consecutive year that the southwest monsoon has covered the entire country ahead of schedule, according to the IMD.
