The India Meteorological Department on Tuesday predicted heavy rainfall over central India and the country’s west coast for the next three to four days.
A well-marked low-pressure area is lying over north west and west central Bay of Bengal. adjoining coastal Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh, the weather office said.
“It is likely to concentrate into a depression during the next 24 hours and move west-northwestwards across Odisha and Chhattisgarh,” it said.
Under the circumstances, widespread rainfall with isolated heavy rains and thunderstorms is very likely over Gangetic West Bengal till August 11, Jharkhand on August 10 and August 11, and Odisha till August 12.
Widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls and thunderstorm are also very likely over Madhya Pradesh, the Vidarbha region, Chhattisgarh, ghat areas of central Maharashtra and Konkan and Goa till August 12, Gujarat till August 11 and over Marathwada area till August 10, the weather office said.
“The well-marked low is over the Odisha coast,” said RK Jenamani, a senior scientist with the IMD, reported the Hindustan Times. “Already several parts of central India have started recording extremely heavy rain. Over the next 2-3 days the system will move over central India bringing a lot of rain up to Gujarat coast. The system is expected to intensify further.”
On Monday, 10 regions in central and west India received more than 2 cm of rainfall, IMD said.
Harnai recorded rainfall of 8 cm, Mahabaleshwar 7 cm, Ratnagiri 6 cm, Deesha 5 cm, Kolhapur and Belgaum received 4 cm each, Gopalpur 3 cm and Akola, Narsapur and Sanoli 2 cm each.
Red alert issued in Maharashtra districts
The India Meteorological Department on Tuesday issued a red alert for north Konkan, north central Maharashtra and east and west Vidarbha, PTI reported. A red alert warns of heavy to extremely heavy rain and authorities are asked to tackle any adverse situation.
The red alert has been issued for Nashik, Palghar, Raigad and Pune.
An orange alert, indicating to stay prepared, is issued for Marathwada, south central Maharashtra and south Konkan.
Meanwhile, the weather office has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall in Mumbai and its suburban areas on Tuesday, ANI reported.
Intense spell of rains with gusty winds reaching 40 kilometre per hour to 50 kilometre per hour are likely at isolated places in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar areas.
Visuals showed a high tide hitting Marine Drive in Mumbai amid the rainfall warning.
Some low-lying areas like the Andheri subway were submerged in water, compelling authorities to divert traffic to alternate routes, civic body officials told PTI.
Meanwhile, Vidarbha region witnessed heavy downpour as well.
On Monday morning, a farmer and his wife were swept away in an overflowing nullah in the Yavatmal region, PTI reported.
“They were staying on their farm for the past two to three days to protect the crops from animals,” an unidentified official said. “This [Monday] morning, while returning, they got swept away in an overflowing nullah. It has been raining in the area since last night. Their bodies were found in the afternoon.”
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