PANCHKULA, Aug 17: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Punjab on August 17 and 18, while Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir are likely to experience more intense rainfall during the period.
According to the IMD’s All India Weather Summary and Forecast Bulletin issued on Monday morning, scattered heavy rain is expected over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Punjab on both August 17 and 18. Rainfall is likely to become fairly widespread to widespread over these areas on August 18.
The western Himalayan region is expected to witness particularly heavy rainfall. The IMD has forecast scattered very heavy rain over Himachal Pradesh on August 17 and 18, while Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad may receive scattered very heavy rainfall from August 17 to 19. Uttarakhand is also likely to experience very heavy rain on August 17.
For August 17, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at some places over Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, besides parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, East Madhya Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand.
On August 18, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected over Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and East Uttar Pradesh, along with Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Sikkim. Heavy rain is also likely over parts of Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand and West Uttar Pradesh.
The IMD said the rainy spell over the western Himalayan region is expected to continue through August 23, with fairly widespread to widespread rainfall likely over Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Uttarakhand.
The weather agency has also issued a 24-hour flash-flood risk outlook valid until 5.30 am on August 18, indicating a low to moderate risk over some river areas and adjoining regions in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir-Ladakh and Uttarakhand.
In Himachal Pradesh, the flash-flood risk covers Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla and Sirmaur districts. In Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Doda, Kathua, Udhampur and Leh have been identified as areas at risk.
The flash-flood risk in Uttarakhand covers Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Dehradun, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts.
The IMD cautioned that rainfall over the next 24 hours could lead to surface water flow or flooding in saturated and low-lying areas.
The weather conditions are being influenced by multiple systems, including a depression over coastal West Bengal and adjoining areas of Bangladesh and the northwest Bay of Bengal. The system is expected to move northwestwards towards Jharkhand during the next 24 hours.
An upper-air cyclonic circulation over Jammu Division and neighbouring areas, along with another circulation over northwest Uttar Pradesh, is also influencing weather conditions.
Rainfall observations recorded between 8.30 am on August 16 and 5.30 am on August 17 showed rain at most places over Punjab and Uttarakhand and at many places over Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
The IMD clarified that a red-colour warning signifies “Take Action” and should not be interpreted as a “Red Alert”. Daily forecasts and warnings are valid from 8.30 am on the specified day until 8.30 am the following day.
