The India Meteorological Department has warned of extremely heavy rain in Odisha and Chhattisgarh as a deep depression tracks across eastern India, prompting a red alert.

The depression is currently positioned over north interior Odisha and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal, moving west-northwestwards at roughly 12 kilometres per hour.

The IMD expects the system to move further across north Odisha, south Jharkhand and north Chhattisgarh in the next 24 hours, bringing heavy to very heavy rainfall.

Isolated areas under the red alert could receive extremely heavy rain of more than 204.5 millimetres, with concerns raised over flooding and waterlogging.

An orange alert is in force for Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, western Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, where heavy to very heavy rain is expected.

Rain alerts also apply to Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar amid warnings of thunderstorms and gusty winds.

The IMD has asked residents in hilly areas to watch for landslides and advised motorists to steer clear of waterlogged roads during the alert.

Officials said they would continue tracking the depression closely and issue updated warnings as the situation develops.

In a press release on July 28, the IMD forecast normal to above-normal monsoon rainfall over northwest and central India for the next four to five days, adding that the monsoon trough is expected to remain near its usual position through the week.

The IMD’s alert system is colour-coded from green through yellow and orange to red, with red warnings reserved for conditions serious enough to require immediate precautionary steps from state authorities and the public.

The IMD typically classifies a weather system as a deep depression when sustained wind speeds near its centre reach between 51 and 61 kilometres per hour, one step below a full cyclonic storm in intensity.

(Image: Photo by McKay Savage from London, UK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

The India Meteorological Department has flagged flood risk with a red alert covering parts of eastern Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Maharashtra for extremely heavy rain.

Isolated locations could see rainfall exceeding 204.5mm, with the wider region expected to receive between 115.6mm and 204.4mm.

The alert warns of flash floods, overflowing rivers and localized infrastructure damage in the affected areas.

A well-marked low-pressure area over southeast Rajasthan and adjoining Madhya Pradesh, along with an upper-air cyclonic circulation, is driving the weather.

Another cyclonic circulation remains active over the northwest Bay of Bengal, while a western disturbance continues to affect Jammu and Kashmir.

Thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds are also forecast across several states, prompting safety advisories for residents and farmers.

(Image: McKay Savage (CC BY 2.0))

The India Meteorological Department has flagged the risk of landslides as a red alert for very heavy rainfall covers Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand for the next two days.

Ladakh is also set to see widespread rainfall through the rest of the week, per the IMD’s forecast.

Winds may reach speeds of up to 80 kmph in some areas, raising the risk of uprooted trees and power outages, the department said.

Traffic disruptions and waterlogging are also expected in low-lying localities as the rain continues.

Authorities in the hilly states have cautioned residents about landslides and sudden increases in river water levels.

(Image: A. J. T. Johnsingh, WWF-India and NCF (CC BY-SA 4.0))