IMD predicts heavy rainfall in east and northeast

New Delhi: A well-marked low pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Odisha-West Bengal north coast is expected to intensify rainfall over east and northeast India during the next week, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Large parts of Northwest, Midwest and South Peninsular India are likely to witness sub-normal Monsoon activity.

The IMD has also predicted rainfall over eastern Uttar Pradesh and western Himalayan region during the next seven days.

Odisha is expected to receive fairly heavy rains on July 17-18. Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim are also likely to experience widespread rainfall, with heavy to very heavy showers at isolated places during the week. Northeast states including Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura are expected to witness widespread rainfall with isolated very heavy rains.

The forecast sees extremely heavy rainfall of more than 21 cm in Odisha, while Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bihar have recorded very heavy rainfall. Heavy rain was also reported in eastern Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Konkan, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Nagaland and Tripura.

Subdued in the northwest

Compared to East and Northeast India, rainfall activity is expected to remain subdued over Northwest, Midwest and South Peninsular India during the next seven days and over the plains of Northwest India for the next three days, raising concerns about uneven distribution of monsoons. Overall, rain activity is likely to be normal to above normal over most parts of East and Northeast India and below normal over the rest of the country during 16-22. July

Rainfall across central India is expected to remain scattered over West Madhya Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha during the next few days.

For the coming week (July 23-29), the IMD has forecast near normal to above normal rainfall over parts of East and Central India, while most other regions are likely to continue to receive below normal rainfall.

The Bureau of Meteorology also warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of up to 60 km/h in several eastern states. Gusty winds of up to 80 km/h are likely to blow at isolated places over Punjab and Gujarat.

Meanwhile, heat waves are expected to persist over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal till July 17. Hot and humid weather is also forecast over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and parts of Uttar Pradesh on 17-18. July

The country is in a rainfall deficit so far, while the India Meteorological Department’s monthly outlook predicts sub-normal rainfall for July at less than 94% of the long-term average (LPA).