The IMD has forecast isolated heavy rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from July 2 to 4, while active monsoon conditions are expected to bring heavy showers to several parts of the country.
Srinagar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast isolated heavy rainfall over Jammu and Kashmir, including Ladakh, from July 2 to 4 as an active monsoon phase strengthens across large parts of the country.
The weather agency said the active monsoon conditions are likely to persist over central India this week due to a low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal.
Heavy rain lashed Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra on Wednesday morning, with the IMD forecasting continued showers and intermittent thunderstorms across the city and adjoining suburbs.
The IMD has issued orange alerts for several states, including parts of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Kerala and Karnataka, warning of heavy rainfall.
The monsoon has further advanced into additional parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, the IMD said.
Apart from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Himachal Pradesh from July 2 to 4, Uttarakhand through July 2, West Uttar Pradesh on July 1, Madhya Pradesh through July 4, Chhattisgarh on July 1, Odisha through July 6, Konkan and Goa through July 1 and again from July 5 to 6, Gujarat on July 2 and July 5-6, and parts of Karnataka and Kerala through July 2.
In Jammu and Kashmir, heavy rain triggered flash floods in Doda after cloudbursts, disrupting normal life and blocking several roads.
In northwest India, the IMD forecast a drop of 3-5 degrees Celsius in maximum temperatures by July 2 as monsoon rains spread across Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Delhi remained under a yellow alert on Wednesday, with light rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of up to 60 kmph expected.
A day after heavy rain lashed Dehradun, the IMD issued fresh rainfall alerts for Uttarakhand. Orange alerts remain in place for Nainital, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal and Udham Singh Nagar, while Rudraprayag is expected to receive heavy rain through July 4.
Despite the current wet spell, India recorded nearly 40% below-normal rainfall in June, making it the fifth-driest June since 1901 and the driest since 2014. IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said July rainfall is also expected to remain below normal, at less than 94% of the long-term average, partly due to developing El Niño conditions over the Pacific Ocean.
