Low pressure area in Bay of Bengal sparks concern for heavy rainfall in east India, IMD issues alert

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported on Tuesday the formation of a Low Pressure Area in the Northwest Bay of Bengal, near the West Bengal-Odisha coasts.

This weather system is expected to track west-northwest wards across North Odisha and South Jharkhand over the next two days, bringing with it the likelihood of heavy to very heavy rainfall across East India for the next three days.

In its bulletin, the IMD said that in West India, the weather forecast for Tuesday indicates the likelihood of light to moderate fairly widespread to widespread rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.

Additionally, isolated instances of heavy to very heavy rainfall are expected over Gujarat state and the north Konkan and ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra. “There’s a particular concern for isolated extremely heavy rainfall in Saurashtra and Kutch on the same day,” said the IMD.

In East India, the forecast spans from Tuesday to Saturday. During this period, light to moderate fairly widespread to widespread rainfall and thunderstorms are expected, with isolated instances of heavy rainfall likely over Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand.

“Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim will experience these conditions from Wednesday to Friday, while Bihar is anticipated to see them from Thursday to Saturday. Odisha, in particular, may experience isolated very heavy rainfall from Tuesday to Thursday,” the IMD predicted.

In Northwest India, on Tuesday, light to moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall and thunderstorms are forecasted. There’s a possibility of isolated heavy falls over Punjab and Himachal Pradesh on the same day.

The IMD also predicted that in Northeast India, the weather outlook from Tuesday to Saturday anticipates light to moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall and thunderstorms.

“Isolated heavy rainfall activity is expected over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura during this period. Furthermore, isolated very heavy rainfall is likely over Nagaland and Manipur on Wednesday, Thursday, and over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya on Thursday, and Friday,” said the IMD.

In Central India, the forecast spans till Saturday. During this period, light to moderate fairly widespread to widespread rainfall and thunderstorms are expected, with isolated instances of heavy rainfall likely over Chhattisgarh, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and West Madhya Pradesh on specific days within this timeframe.

Lastly, in South India, on Tuesday, there is a forecast of light to moderate fairly widespread to widespread rainfall, with isolated heavy rainfall likely over Coastal Andhra Pradesh. “Interior Tamil Nadu and Kerala are also expected to experience isolated heavy rainfall on the same day,” said the IMD.

–IANS