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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said that the monsoon is expected to advance further into several parts of North India in the coming days. It has issued heavy rainfall alerts for parts of western and central regions of the country.
Senior Scientist at IMD, Dr Naresh Yadav, said that the monsoon will soon cover additional parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh and the west coast of Gujarat. He warned that in the next 4-5 days, the Konkan belt, Goa and South Gujarat may experience extremely heavy rainfall, adding that a red alert has been issued for these regions. He further stated that very heavy rainfall is also likely over Odisha and central India. In Chandigarh, IMD Director Surinder Paul confirmed that the monsoon has already reached parts of Punjab and Haryana, with rainfall being reported from several districts. He said the system will advance further and is expected to cover the remaining parts of Punjab and Haryana within two-three days. He added that widespread rainfall is likely over the next five-six days, bringing relief from heat and humidity. He noted that Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have also received monsoon rains. In Mumbai, IMD Scientist Bikram Singh said that the city has received good rainfall in the last 24 hours, with several stations recording heavy to very heavy showers. He said an orange alert has been issued for Mumbai, with the possibility of heavy rainfall at a few places, leading to waterlogging in low-lying areas. He added that authorities, including the BMC and State Disaster Management Authority, have been informed and are monitoring the situation. He further said Ratnagiri remains under a red alert due to ongoing extremely heavy rainfall in the region. The Uttarakhand government on Wednesday also initiated emergency protocols and started broadcasting SMS weather warnings to high-risk areas following a three-day "Orange Alert" for heavy rainfall issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman warned that while the annual Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage remains active, footfall is expected to drop sharply if the heavy downpours intensify across the Himalayan region. Meanwhile, following the weather department's alert, the Rudraprayag district administration has been put on high alert. With the onset of the monsoon, the district has been placed under Yellow and Orange alerts for different periods. In view of the prevailing weather conditions, the district administration and the Disaster Management Department are closely monitoring the situation through the control room, keeping a constant watch on the highways, the Kedarnath Yatra route, and other vulnerable areas. (ANI)
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