The IMD has warned of flash floods across eight states and two union territories as heavy rain continues to lash large parts of the country.

The alert list includes Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Chhattisgarh is under the sharpest warning, with isolated areas expected to receive over 204.5mm of rain and districts such as Gaurela, Pendra, Marwahi, Balrampur and Surguja facing extremely heavy rainfall.

Northern Odisha districts including Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Sambalpur are flagged for flash flood risk, with 40-50 kmph winds expected along the coast.

The alert period runs through September 2 in several states, with Uttarakhand’s warning extending the furthest, through September 8.

Uttarakhand is separately forecast to see very heavy rainfall through September 8, one of the longer alert windows among the affected states.

Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are both under flash flood warnings, adding to the list of hill and northern regions bracing for the current spell.

IMD’s flash flood warnings are typically issued when very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected in a short window, raising the risk of sudden waterlogging, landslides and river-level surges.

Authorities in the affected districts have been advised to remain on alert, particularly in areas prone to landslides or where rivers and streams could rise rapidly during the heaviest spells.

The current alert spans a wide geographic band from the Himalayan foothills in the north to Chhattisgarh and Odisha in central and eastern India, reflecting an active monsoon system moving across the country.

In Chhattisgarh, isolated areas are forecast to receive rainfall exceeding 204.5mm, with high-risk districts including Gaurela, Pendra, Marwahi, Balrampur, Surguja and nine others facing extremely heavy rain.

Northeast India could see 115.6mm to 204.4mm of rainfall in isolated pockets, while northern Odisha is forecast to receive widespread heavy rainfall through the alert period.

NASA Earth Observatory, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 (representative monsoon rainfall image)

An orange alert is in force for Odisha’s Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts after the India Meteorological Department forecast very heavy rainfall from August 29, driven by a fresh low-pressure system.

The IMD has also placed 19 other districts under a yellow warning, with isolated pockets expected to see very heavy rain as the system moves across the state.

The rain is forecast to peak between August 29 and September 1, with Odisha’s active spell expected to run through September 2 as the low-pressure system continues to track inland.

Districts under the orange alert face a high risk of waterlogging, localised flooding and disrupted travel, according to the weather department’s advisory.

This marks the latest in a series of low-pressure-driven rain spells to hit Odisha during the current monsoon season.

Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been placed under a thunderstorm and lightning warning as the wider weather system continues to move across the country.

The active rain spell over Odisha is expected to continue through September 2, with the heaviest rainfall in the state forecast between August 29 and September 1.

Authorities in the affected districts have been advised to remain on alert given the risk of waterlogging, localised flooding and disrupted travel during the peak of the rain spell.

The fresh low-pressure system driving the current spell is the latest in a series of such systems to affect eastern and central India during this year’s monsoon season.

IMD’s district-level warnings are colour-coded, with orange indicating authorities should be prepared for disruptive weather and yellow signalling a need for increased vigilance, a step below the more severe red alert.

The IMD has also issued heavy rain warnings for Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal, east Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim through the day.

Northeastern states including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura are also under alert for heavy rainfall at isolated locations, with warnings for Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura extending across multiple days ahead.

Photo by McKay Savage, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (representative monsoon rain image)

Heavy rain returned to Delhi on Tuesday morning as the India Meteorological Department issued a red alert for the capital.

The IMD said moderate rain is expected at many places across the capital, with heavy to extremely heavy rain likely at isolated spots, along with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds.

Neighbouring NCR cities including Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad are also covered under the forecast, with Gurugram and Faridabad placed under a yellow alert.

A low-pressure area has formed over the Bay of Bengal, and under its influence, heavy rain is expected in East Vidarbha, Marathwada and the Ghats, prompting a yellow alert for these regions.

The IMD has also forecast thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rain across parts of Arunachal Pradesh through August 28.

A red alert is IMD’s highest warning level, signalling authorities to take immediate action given the severity of expected rainfall and its potential to disrupt daily life.

A red alert is IMD’s highest warning level, signalling authorities to take immediate action given the severity of expected rainfall and its potential to disrupt daily life.

Residents across the affected regions have been advised to avoid waterlogging-prone areas and stay updated with local administration advisories as the rainfall spell continues through the week.

The IMD said moderate rain is expected at many places across the capital, with heavy to extremely heavy rain likely at isolated spots, along with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds.

Neighbouring NCR cities including Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad are also covered under the forecast, with Gurugram and Faridabad placed under a yellow alert.

A low-pressure area has formed over the Bay of Bengal, and under its influence, heavy rain is expected in East Vidarbha, Marathwada and the Ghats, prompting a yellow alert for these regions.

The IMD has also forecast thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rain across parts of Arunachal Pradesh through August 28.

Photo by Hitesh Ashar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0