Weather Updates: Heavy Rains Likely in Maharashtra; Flash Floods Alert Issued for Himachal's Sirmaur

The Indian Meteorological Centre (IMD) on Friday issued a heavy rain alert for Mumbai and other Maharashtra districts such as Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and Dhule for the next two days. The weather department has also predicted cloudy skies with light to moderate rainfall in Delhi over the next five days. In Himachal Pradesh, six districts are likely to receive heavy downpours till September 21 and caution has also been issued for flash floods in the hill state’s Sirmaur district.

Here are the weather updates for the upcoming five days across the country:

• Heavy rainfall is very likely over Odisha on September 18 and 20 and over Andaman & Nicobar Islands till September 18.
• Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha is expected to witness heavy rainfall till September 17 and Chattisgarh on September 16.
• Very heavy rainfall is also very likely over East Rajasthan and Uttarakhand on September 16.
• Konkan and Goa, ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra are likely to witness heavy rainfall between September 16 and 18.
• Similar conditions are also likely to prevail over Marathwada on September 16 and 17, over Gujarat Region between September 16 and 18 and over Saurashtra on September 17 and 18.
• Predicting a wet spell in the region till September 21, the weather department has forecasted light to moderate rains in the low and mid hills of Himachal Pradesh and moderate rain or snowfall in the higher reaches.
• It also cautioned of damage to standing crops, fruit plants, and young plants and advised farmers to reschedule the spraying of insecticides.
• Since the onset of monsoon in the hill state on June 24 till September 13, about 272 persons have died in rain-related incidents.
• In the north-east, heavy rainfall activity is likely over Assam & Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura on September 19 and 20.
• Speaking to ANI, IMD Scientist Dr Soma Sen Roy said, ” Tomorrow, low pressure may move towards West so, West Madhya Pradesh and Northern part of Maharashtra may receive very heavy rainfall. There isn’t much chance of rain in North-East India, as low-pressure keeps moving towards Westward, Gujarat may also witness rain. Gujarat & Maharashtra may receive rain over 20 cm…we have issued red and orange alerts in Gujarat and Maharashtra”.
• The weather department has forceasted generally cloudy skies with light to moderate rainfall in Delhi over the next five days.
• On Thursday, the maximum temperature settled four notches above the season’s average at 37.6 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature was recorded at 27.8 degrees.
• Several parts of the national capital has witnessed waterlogging that slowed down the early morning vehicular traffic. Traffic jams were witnessed outside the Akshardham Temple Metro Station and on various road stretches including Vikas Marg.
• Many areas including Sangam Vihar faced waterlogging the inconvenienced the locals. The Delhi traffic police issued an alert saying that traffic was affected on Rohtak Road on both the carriageways from Rajdhani Park towards Tikri Border. It advised the commuters to plan their journey in view of affected traffic due to waterlogging.

(With PTI inputs)