IMD warns of flash flood risk across central India as monsoon intensifies

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a low to moderate flash flood risk warning for parts of Chhattisgarh, east Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Odisha over the next 24 hours, saying heavy rainfall could trigger surface runoff and inundation in low-lying areas where soils are already saturated.

According to the IMD‘s flash flood guidance, the warning remains in effect until 11:30 am on 30 July for districts including Balod, Baloda Bazar, Bastar, Bemetara, Bijapur, Dantewara, Dhamtari, Durg, Gariaband, Janjgir-Champa, Kabirdham, Kanker, Kondagaon, Korea, Mahasamund, Narayanpur, Raigarh, Raipur and Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh, and Anuppur, Balaghat, Chhindwara, Damoh, Dindori, Jabalpur, Katni, Mandla, Narsinghpur, Niwari, Sagar, Singrauli and Tikamgarh in east Madhya Pradesh.

The weather office also flagged a similar risk for Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Nagpur and Wardha districts in Vidarbha, and Anugul, Balangir, Baleshwar, Bargarh, Boudh, Bhadrak, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Nabarangapur, Nuapada, Subarnapur and Sundargarh districts in Odisha.

The warning comes as the IMD forecasts an active phase of the southwest monsoon over much of northwest and central India over the next several days, with rainfall expected to remain normal to above normal after a subdued start to the season in several parts of the country.

Monsoon gathers pace

The IMD forecast isolated heavy rainfall over west Madhya Pradesh on 30 July and the Gujarat region on 31 July.

Across northwest India, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is expected over Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Uttarakhand from 30 July to 3 August. Similar conditions are forecast over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Punjab during 30-31 July and again on 2-3 August. East Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh are likely to receive widespread rainfall through 3 August, while east Uttar Pradesh is expected to see wet conditions on 30 July and again on 2-3 August. West Rajasthan is likely to receive rainfall during 1-2 August.

Across central India, widespread rainfall is forecast over Vidarbha and west Madhya Pradesh through 1 August, east Madhya Pradesh through 2 August and Chhattisgarh through 3 August. Rainfall activity is expected to ease over Vidarbha and west Madhya Pradesh during 2-3 August.

The weather office also forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30-50 kmph over east and west Madhya Pradesh during 30 July-1 August and over Vidarbha on 30 July.

Rains in Delhi

Meanwhile, heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms lashed several parts of Delhi-NCR on Tuesday, with the IMD indicating that wet weather is likely to continue until 31 July.

The IMD advised authorities to closely monitor vulnerable watersheds and low-lying areas, warning that continued rainfall could lead to waterlogging and localised flooding.

During the past 24 hours, extremely heavy rainfall was recorded over Odisha and Uttarakhand. Very heavy rainfall was reported from Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, east Madhya Pradesh, Konkan and Goa, and Madhya Maharashtra, while heavy rainfall occurred over Gangetic West Bengal, Haryana, Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Assam, coastal and south interior Karnataka, and Telangana.

In its monthly outlook, the IMD said India was likely to receive below-normal rainfall in July, at less than 94% of the long-period average (LPA). The forecast came after the country’s driest June in more than a decade—and the fifth-driest since records began in 1901—with southwest monsoon rainfall 39.8% below the LPA. India received 99.5 mm of rainfall during the month, against the normal 165.3 mm.