The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of intense rainfall across several parts of India over the coming days, with isolated extremely heavy rainfall expected over north Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal on August 17. The All India Weather Summary and Forecast Bulletin, issued on August 15, also forecasts widespread rain across the Himalayan region, eastern and northeastern India and parts of central and western India through August 21.The most significant weather concern is centred on eastern India, where the IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall over Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha on August 17. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir-Ladakh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on the same day.The weather system is expected to remain active on August 18, when isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha. Heavy rain is also forecast over several areas, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, East Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir-Ladakh, Madhya Maharashtra, the northeastern states, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal and Sikkim.
Rainfall to remain widespread across several regions
IMD weather bulletin
Northwest India is expected to remain wet through much of the week. Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is likely over Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir-Ladakh and Uttarakhand till August 21. Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi and Punjab are expected to see fairly widespread rain on August 18, while East Uttar Pradesh is forecast to receive widespread rainfall from August 16 to 21.In central India, Chhattisgarh and East and West Madhya Pradesh are likely to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall through August 21. Vidarbha is expected to see similar conditions till August 18, while isolated heavy rainfall is likely over parts of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh during the period.Eastern India will remain particularly active. The IMD expects fairly widespread to widespread rainfall over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim through August 21. Bihar is expected to receive widespread rainfall from August 17 to 20.The Northeast is also likely to experience persistent rain. Arunachal Pradesh is forecast to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall till August 21. Assam and Meghalaya are expected to see widespread rainfall from August 17–21, while Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura are likely to experience widespread rainfall from August 16–21.In western India, Konkan and Goa are likely to experience fairly widespread to widespread rainfall throughout the forecast period. Gujarat Region is expected to receive fairly widespread to widespread rain on August 16, with isolated heavy rainfall also forecast over Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and Gujarat Region during parts of the period.Southern India will also remain under the influence of the monsoon. Coastal Karnataka and Kerala and Mahe are likely to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall till August 21. Scattered rainfall is expected across Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, North Interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema, South Interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal and Telangana.
Travel and transport could be affected
The IMD has warned that the combination of heavy rain and squally winds could disrupt normal activities in vulnerable areas. Possible impacts include waterlogging and inundation of low-lying areas, localised landslides and mudslides, reduced visibility, damage to vulnerable structures and disruption to road and rail traffic. Helicopter services could also be affected.For coastal areas, the IMD has issued fishermen warnings for parts of the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Squally winds reaching 45–55 kmph and gusting to 65 kmph are expected over several marine areas, while winds of 40–50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph are likely along parts of the West Bengal, Odisha, North Andhra Pradesh and Bangladesh coasts and over adjoining areas of the Bay of Bengal.The IMD forecast indicates that rainfall will gradually ease in some areas towards August 20–21, although heavy rain is still expected in parts of the Northeast, Odisha, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
