Widespread monsoon rain is expected across much of the country on Saturday, August 1, with Gujarat expected to remain the worst-hit region as an active weather system continues to influence rainfall over central and western India, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
While the depression over central India is likely to weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during the next 24 hours, it will continue to pump moisture into several states, sustaining heavy rainfall.
The weather system, which was centred over western Vidarbha and adjoining south Madhya Pradesh on Friday morning, is moving west-northwest towards Maharashtra before weakening.
Even as it loses strength, the system is expected to keep the southwest monsoon active over many regions.
GUJARAT TO FACE HEAVY RAIN AGAIN
According to the IMD, Gujarat is likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated spells of extremely heavy rain on August 1.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected over East Rajasthan, Konkan and Goa, parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu.
Heavy rainfall is also likely at isolated places over Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Rajasthan, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds are expected in several of these regions.
ACTIVE MONSOON CONTINUES
The IMD said widespread to fairly widespread rainfall is expected to persist over large parts of northwest, east, northeast, west and south peninsular India over the coming days, indicating that the monsoon will remain active through the first week of August.
States such as Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are expected to receive frequent spells of rain, while Bihar, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh are likely to see rainfall increase from the weekend onward.
The latest forecast comes after several parts of the country recorded intense rainfall over the past few days.
Extremely heavy rain was observed over parts of Maharashtra, Vidarbha and Marathwada, while very heavy rainfall was recorded in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, west Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Assam and Telangana.
Heavy rain was also reported from Uttarakhand, Haryana, east Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Kerala and coastal regions of Karnataka.
With multiple weather systems, including the monsoon trough, an offshore trough along the west coast and a fresh western disturbance, remaining active, the IMD expects monsoon conditions to stay favourable for widespread rainfall across much of India in the days ahead.
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