IMD Forecasts Widespread Rain Across Central, East and West India
The IMD expects widespread rain over central, eastern and western India this week, with northwest India likely to receive lighter, scattered showers.
Rainfall is set to remain widespread across central, eastern and western India over the coming week, while northwest India is likely to see only isolated to scattered showers, the India Meteorological Department has forecast.
The outlook comes with the country's cumulative monsoon rainfall running 15% below normal. Between 1 June and 10 September, India recorded 650.5 mm of rain against a normal of 766.5 mm. The southwest monsoon supplies roughly 70% of the nation's annual rainfall and is closely tied to its water security and agricultural economy.
Central India is expected to be among the more active rainfall zones. East and west Madhya Pradesh along with Vidarbha are likely to receive fairly widespread to widespread rain from 12 to 14 September, with Chhattisgarh seeing similar conditions until 15 September. The rain is expected to turn more scattered after that. Vidarbha may also experience thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, on 11 and 12 September.
In the northwest, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and adjoining areas are likely to get isolated to scattered rain from 12 to 14 September and again on 17 September. Himachal Pradesh may see similar conditions until 17 September, while Uttarakhand is expected to receive showers from 15 to 17 September. Fairly widespread to widespread rain is likely over Uttarakhand from 12 to 14 September and over Jammu and Kashmir on 15 and 16 September.
Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab and east Uttar Pradesh are likely to receive isolated to scattered rain until 17 September. West Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh may see showers from 12 to 17 September, while east Rajasthan is expected to get fairly widespread rain from 14 to 16 September.
In the east, fairly widespread to widespread rain is forecast over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim through 12-17 September. Gangetic West Bengal is likely to receive widespread showers on 12 and 13 September, and Odisha on 12 September.
The northeast will also remain wet. Arunachal Pradesh is likely to see fairly widespread to widespread rain from 12 to 17 September, while Assam and Meghalaya may get widespread showers on 12 September and again from 15 to 17 September. Thunderstorms and lightning are likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya from 12 to 15 September.
In the west, Konkan and Goa are likely to receive widespread rain throughout 12-17 September. Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada and Gujarat are also expected to see spells of widespread rain during the week.
Across peninsular India, rainfall is likely to remain mostly isolated to scattered, though coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala could see periods of widespread showers during the forecast period.