Weather Today: With the southwest monsoon now having covered the entire Indian subcontinent, various regions across the country are experiencing widespread rainfall. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a slew of alerts ranging from yellow to red in different states, warning of heavy to very heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning.
Severe rainfall forecast in Central and Western India
For 7 July, the IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places across Chhattisgarh, East Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, and Vidarbha. Similar conditions are expected in East Rajasthan and Gujarat, raising concerns about possible flooding in low-lying areas. Maharashtra is particularly bracing for impact, with a red alert declared in districts like Pune and Palghar.
Meanwhile, an orange alert has been issued for parts of Nashik, Thane, Raigad, and Ratnagiri, with yellow warnings for Ahmednagar, Jalna, Jalgaon, and Hingoli. Mumbai, which has seen intermittent heavy downpours since May, is expecting temperatures to range between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius on Monday.
Northern India hill states on HIGH ALERT!
In Himachal Pradesh, the situation has turned critical with continued rainfall and multiple cloudbursts worsening conditions, particularly in Shimla and its neighbouring districts. For 8 July, the IMD has issued a red alert for Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur, while an orange alert remains in effect for Chamba, Kullu, Shimla, Solan, Hamirpur, and Una.
Chamba and Mandi witnessed cloudbursts on Sunday, triggering fears of landslides and localised flooding. However, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti are currently not under any weather warning. The IMD continues to caution residents about potential thunderstorms and lightning in isolated areas.
Yellow alert in Delhi-NCR
The national capital saw early morning showers on Monday, prompting a yellow alert across Delhi and its satellite towns including Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, and Gautam Buddha Nagar. According to the IMD’s Delhi NCR Centre, light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms is expected throughout the day in areas such as Sonipat, Rohtak, Rewari, and Palwal. Delhi’s temperature is predicted to range between 26 and 34 degrees Celsius.
Punjab and Chandigarh on Orange alert
In neighbouring Punjab, an orange alert has been issued in several districts including Jalandhar, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, and Pathankot. Chandigarh, too, is expecting significant rainfall through the week. After a relatively dry start to July, the city recorded 31 mm of rainfall on 1 July and 3.7 mm on 6 July. Monday’s temperatures are expected to remain between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius.