Ahmedabad: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rainfall alert for several districts of Gujarat over the next five days due to the persistence and possible intensification of a well-marked low-pressure area over the Eastcentral Arabian Sea, off the south Konkan coast.

As of 2:30 PM IST on May 23, the low-pressure system continues to persist in the same region and is likely to move northward. The IMD bulletin suggests that it may intensify further into a depression within the next 24 hours, potentially leading to widespread rainfall activity in parts of Gujarat.

District-wise forecast of heavy rainfall

• May 23: Heavy rain is very likely at isolated places in the districts of South Gujarat—Narmada, Bharuch, Surat, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, and Tapi, and the Union Territories of Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. Saurashtra districts including Rajkot, Porbandar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, and Gir Somnath, along with Diu, are also likely to experience isolated heavy rainfall.

• May 24 and 25: Heavy rainfall is expected to persist in Surat, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi, and the Union Territories of Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. In Saurashtra, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, and Diu remain under alert for heavy rainfall on both days.

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• May 26: The districts of Narmada, Bharuch, Surat, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, and Tapi, and Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, are again likely to witness heavy rainfall. Similarly, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, and Diu in Saurashtra are forecast to receive heavy showers.

• May 27: Heavy rainfall is predicted at isolated places in Dang, Navsari, Valsad, and Tapi, as well as Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. The Saurashtra districts of Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, and Diu are also expected to be affected.

Apart from the districts mentioned above, light to moderate rainfall is likely across other parts of Gujarat during the next seven days, continuing till May 29. However, no significant change in temperatures is anticipated during this period.

Monsoon onset likely over Kerala within two days

According to the IMD, the Northern Limit of Monsoon currently passes through coordinates stretching from 5°N/60°E to 23°N/95°E. The conditions are becoming increasingly favourable for the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala within the next two days.

Simultaneously, the monsoon is also expected to advance over more parts of the South Arabian Sea, the remaining areas of the Maldives and Comorin region, parts of Lakshadweep, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, South and Central Bay of Bengal, North Bay of Bengal, and some parts of the northeastern states during the same timeframe.

The IMD continues to monitor the evolving weather patterns closely and advises residents in the affected districts to stay updated with the latest forecasts and take necessary precautions. DeshGujarat