Widespread Rain, Thunderstorms To Cover Most Of India Until 19 September: IMD

(MENAFN- Live Mint) New Delhi: Several parts of India are likely to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning over the next week, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects wet spells to persist across northwest, central, eastern, northeastern, and western regions through 19 September.

In northwest India, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad are likely to experience fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning during 15-17 September. Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, along with Punjab, are expected to see similar weather conditions during 16-17 September. Other parts of northwest India may receive isolated to scattered rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.

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The central region is also expected to witness several spells of rain. West Madhya Pradesh is likely to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall on 14 September. Vidarbha may receive widespread rainfall during 14-15 September and Chhattisgarh during 14-16 September. Thereafter, isolated to scattered rainfall is likely to continue across these areas through 19 September.

In eastern India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are likely to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall during 16-19 September. Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim are expected to witness such rainfall throughout 14-19 September.

Gangetic West Bengal may receive widespread rainfall on during 16-19 September, while Bihar is likely to experience similar conditions during 16-17 September. Odisha is expected to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall on 14 September.

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The northeastern region is likely to remain wet, with fairly widespread to widespread rainfall forecast over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura during 14-17 September. Rainfall is expected to become more isolated and scattered during 18-19 September. Thunderstorms and lightning are also likely over parts of the region, particularly Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and Meghalaya.

In western India, Gujarat, Konkan and Goa, and Saurashtra and Kutch are likely to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall during 14-15 September. Thereafter, rainfall is expected to become isolated to scattered across the region through 19 September, while thunderstorms and lightning may affect parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat during the initial days.

Southern peninsular India is also expecte to see intermittent rainfall. Kerala and Mahe are likely to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall during 14-15 September, while Lakshadweep is expected to remain wet throughout 14-19 September. Isolated to scattered rainfall is likely over Rayalaseema, South Interior Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal through 19 September.

Monsoon deficit

The forecast of widespread rainfall comes amid a deficient southwest monsoon, with cumulative rainfall across India standing at 662.3 mm during 1 June-12 September against the normal 778.6 mm, a deficit of 15%.

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Meanwhile, during the past 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Sunday, exceptionally heavy rainfall (30cm or more) was recorded over the Gujarat region. Very heavy rainfall (12-20cm) was reported in Vidarbha, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Assam, Konkan and Telangana. Heavy rainfall (7-11cm) was recorded over West Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Madhya Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

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