Surat: Some parts of central and north Gujarat are likely to be lashed by very heavy rains in the next 48 hours, with the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert in these districts.

As per the latest IMD bulletin, a red alert has been sounded in Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Tapi, Navsari, Valsad, and in Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli for the next 24 hours, with the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall. Additionally, heavy to very heavy rains may lash the districts of Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Panchmahal, Dahod, Mahisagar, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Dang, Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Anand, as well as Surendranagar, Rajkot, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, Botad, and Diu.

Tomorrow, on Sunday, the red alert remains in place for Sabarkantha, Aravalli, and Mahisagar, while an orange alert is issued for Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Panchmahal, Dahod, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Navsari, Valsad, Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Surendranagar. Additionally, Gandhinagar, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Dang, Tapi, Rajkot, Amreli, Bhavnagar, and Botad may also receive heavy rains.

After that, heavy to very heavy rains are very likely in Banaskantha and Sabarkantha (under an orange alert) and in the districts of Patan, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Anand, Panchmahal, Dahod, Mahisagar, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Bharuch, Navsari, Valsad, and in Daman & Dadra Nagar Haveli; as well as in Saurashtra-Kutch districts namely Surendranagar, Rajkot, Amreli, Bhavnagar, and Botad under a yellow warning on July 28.

On July 29, heavy rains are very likely at isolated places in the districts of Banaskantha, Patan, Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Navsari, Valsad, and in Daman & Dadra Nagar Haveli.

As per the IMD, the intensity of rain across Gujarat will decrease to light rain till August 4.

The IMD also stated that the monsoon trough at mean sea level now passes through Anupgarh, Churu, Gwalior, Rewa, the center of depression over north Chhattisgarh and adjoining Jharkhand, Purulia, Contai, and then southeastwards into the east-central Bay of Bengal.

• Yesterday’s offshore trough at sea level now runs along the Gujarat–north Kerala coasts.

• An upper-air cyclonic circulation lies over south Gujarat & neighbourhood at 3.1 km above mean sea level.