IMD Issues Red, Orange and Yellow Alerts as Heavy Rains Lash Gujarat

Gandhinagar: Several parts of Gujarat have been witnessing a spell of heavy rainfall since Sunday, and the spell is likely to prevail over the next 48 hours, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning of heavy to very heavy rain at several places.

According to the latest weather forecast bulletin issued on September 14, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at a few places in Saurashtra today, with isolated extremely heavy rainfall possible in Surendranagar, Rajkot and Morbi. A red alert has been issued for these three districts.

Meanwhile, an orange alert, with a forecast of very heavy rainfall, is in place for Banaskantha, Vav-Tharad, Patan, Mehsana, Ahmedabad, Anand and Bharuch, as well as Jamnagar, Porbandar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Botad, Kutch and Diu.

The IMD has also forecast heavy rain at isolated places in Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Gandhinagar, Kheda, Vadodara, Surat, Navsari and Valsad, along with Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and issued a yellow alert. Remaining places in the state might also receive light to moderate rain.

The weather department has warned that thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and surface winds of 30-40 kmph may occur at isolated places across Gujarat, along with light to moderate rain.

For September 15, heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Rajkot, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Junagadh, Morbi, Dwarka and Kutch, and a yellow alert has been issued for these areas. No specific heavy rainfall warning has been issued for Gujarat from September 16 onward till September 20.

Rainfall in Gujarat in Past 24 Hours

The warning comes after a vigorous monsoon spell over the Gujarat region and an active monsoon over Saurashtra-Kutch during the past 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on September 14.

Heavy rainfall of 7-11 cm was recorded at a few places in Valsad, Bharuch, Navsari and Kheda, as well as in Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. Isolated heavy rainfall was also recorded in Panchmahal, Anand, Dahod, Mehsana and Ahmedabad, while Botad and Surendranagar in Saurashtra also received heavy rain at a few places.

Rainfall was reported from most places across the Gujarat region and Saurashtra-Kutch.

Weather System Behind the Rain

The IMD said a low-pressure area that was earlier located over southwest Madhya Pradesh and adjoining north Vidarbha has now moved to southeast Rajasthan and adjoining Gujarat and southwest Madhya Pradesh. Its associated cyclonic circulation extends up to 7.6 km above mean sea level.

The monsoon trough is also passing through Naliya, the centre of the low-pressure area over southeast Rajasthan and adjoining north Gujarat, before extending eastwards towards the northwest Bay of Bengal.

The combination of these weather systems is supporting continued rainfall activity over Gujarat and adjoining regions. DeshGujarat