Monsoon has been in its active phase in the past five days and several parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan recorded exceptionally high rain over the weekend according to data with India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Kadi and Umerpada in Gujarat recorded 33 and 26 cm of rainfall respectively. In Saurashtra and Kutch, Jodia recorded 34 cm of rain; Kadi recorded 33 cm, followed by Tankara (27 cm), Umerpada (26 cm), Morbi (25 cm), Becharaji (22 cm), Saraswati (21 cm) and Kandla Aerodrome and Surendranagar recorded 18 cm of rainfall on Sunday.
Nine persons died and 1,900 people were moved to safer places in Gujarat on Monday due to extreme rain according to a report by PTI.
Other places that recorded extremely heavy rain in the past week include several parts of Odisha with Salepur and Nischintacoil recording 30 cm of rain on August 19. Several parts of Chhattisgarh and west Madhya Pradesh reported 20 to 30 cm rain on August 20, 21 and 22. Parts in east Rajasthan, like Lohari, Banswara, Bhungra, recorded 18 to 20 cm rain in 24 hours.
Gujarat has recorded 179 percent excess rain while Rajasthan saw 33 percent excess rain in August alone. The IMD has forecast very heavy rains in northwest India including Delhi on August 26 and 27.
A low-pressure area is lying over southwest Rajasthan. It is likely to persist for the next 24 hours. The monsoon trough is active and south of its normal position (Ganganagar to Bay of Bengal). It is likely to remain active during the next 2-3 days. Due to these favourable conditions, widespread and heavy to very heavy rain is likely over Gujarat and southwest Rajasthan on August 25.
Another low-pressure area is lying over North Bay of Bengal. It is likely to become more marked during the next 2 days. Under its influence, widespread and very heavy rain is likely over Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand during next 3-4 days and over Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan from August 26 to 28. Extremely heavy rain is also very likely over Odisha on August 25 and 26.
Due to the convergence of lower-level easterlies from Bay of Bengal and south-westerlies from Arabian Sea, rainfall activity is likely to increase over northwest India from August 25 with peak intensity on August 26 and 27. Under its influence, widespread and very heavy rain is likely over northwest India during August 26 to 28.
“Parts of central and western India have recorded very high rainfall and flooding. The low-pressure area over southwest Rajasthan will gradually weaken and the vortex in that region will break leading to moisture incursion in northwest India. That is when we are likely to see heavy rains in Delhi,” said RK Jenamani, senior scientist, national weather forecasting centre.
“One or two spells of moderate rain/thundershowers with isolated heavy rain is likely on August 26 night till forenoon of August 28,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, Regional Weather Forecasting Centre. Monsoon trough is likely to run very close to Delhi NCR from August 25 to 28, he added.
On Monday, 24 Stations (15 in Bihar, 4 in Uttar Pradesh, 2 Assam, 1 each in Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal) were flowing in severe flood situations. Severe flood is declared when the water level touches or exceeds the danger level but is below the highest flood level (HFL).
Flood-affected districts include Narmada, Tapi, Damanganga, Mahi, Sabarmati in Gujarat and West flowing Rivers in Kutch, such as Narmada and Upper Chambal and Mahi in Madhya Pradesh and Chambal and its tributaries, Mahi, Sabarmati, Luni in Rajasthan.
Monsoon rain since June 1 over the country is 8 percent excess with 5 percent excess over east and northeast India; 14 percent deficient over northwest India; 14 percent surplus over central India and 25 percent surplus over south peninsula.
