Weather
Heavy to very heavy rain likely in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bengal on Sunday
The IMD has warned of heavy rain across southern India and heavy to very heavy rain in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Gangetic West Bengal on September 20, with thunderstorms forecast for Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast for parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Gangetic West Bengal on Sunday, September 20.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are also expected to see heavy to very heavy rain.
Thunderstorms and lightning are forecast over sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar.
Residents in flood-prone areas are advised to check local bulletins.
The active southwest monsoon is driving the wet spell over eastern India.
Reports counting the states affected by rain, thunderstorms and strong winds on Sunday put the number at 18, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.
Strong surface winds are very likely over parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, while Tamil Nadu may see gusts of 40 to 50 kmph with isolated heavy rain.
Winds of up to 60 to 65 kmph are possible in vulnerable areas, according to a forecast summary.
Delhi-NCR is forecast to see rain and thunderstorms with winds of about 30 to 40 kmph, with a maximum temperature near 34 degrees Celsius and a minimum near 24 degrees Celsius.
Lucknow is expected to reach about 34 degrees Celsius with a minimum near 26 degrees, and rain in Uttar Pradesh may extend into September 21.
Patna is forecast to see a maximum of about 34 degrees Celsius and a minimum near 27 degrees Celsius, with widespread thunderstorms across Bihar.
Heavy rain in hilly areas may cause landslides and disrupt travel, and lightning and hail are possible in the hills.
The overall pattern is driven by an active southwest monsoon over central, eastern and southern India during the season’s withdrawal phase.
The weather department advises people to avoid open fields, trees and electric poles during thunderstorms and to check local bulletins before travelling.
The IMD has issued a heavy rainfall warning for Sunday, September 20, for parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Telangana.
Rain clouds during the monsoon in Goa (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0