Gandhinagar: The Garba events will kick off tonight as the nine-day Navratri festival has commenced. However, in a concerning development for devotees, rain might play spoilsport in some districts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain and thunderstorms over the next 24 hours in several districts.

According to the bulletin, heavy rain is very likely at isolated places in Bharuch, Surat, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi, and in Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli till 8:30 am on Sept 23rd.

Meanwhile, Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Anand, Panchmahal, Dahod, Mahisagar, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Bharuch, Surat, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi, Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Rajkot, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, Botad, and Diu are also under a yellow warning for light thunderstorms with lightning, surface winds of 30–40 kmph, and light to moderate rainfall during this period.

This means that if rainfall occurs, many Garba grounds could get wet on the first day of the festival and in the days to come, as the weather department has predicted light to moderate rainfall in some districts until September 28.

Forecast for September 23–25: Light to moderate rain or thundershowers are very likely in Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Anand, Panchmahal, Dahod, Mahisagar, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Bharuch, Surat, Tapi, Navsari, Valsad, Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Rajkot, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, Botad, and Diu.

Forecast for September 26–28: Light showers are likely in Anand, Panchmahal, Dahod, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Bharuch, Surat, Tapi, Navsari, Valsad, Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Rajkot, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, Botad, and Diu, while the rest of the state may remain dry.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon has further withdrawn from parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab today. Conditions are expected to become favorable for further withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from additional areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab, as well as parts of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir over the next 2–3 days.

The current line of withdrawal of the southwest monsoon passes through 32°N, 74°E, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Jind, Rewari, Tonk, Mehsana, Porbandar, and 21°N, 68°E.

Southwesterly to westerly winds are prevailing at lower levels over the region, resulting in moisture convergence over South Gujarat and Saurashtra. DeshGujarat