IMD Weather Update: Heavy rain with thunderstorms expected in Delhi-NCR today; red alert issued across 9 states

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that light rain was recorded in several areas of Delhi early on Tuesday and that moderate to heavy rain was expected in Delhi-NCR for the rest of the day. IMD has issued an 'orange rain alert', and requested authorities to stay ready for possibly worsening weather that could cause disruptions or pose a threat to life and property.

A recent tweet from the Met Department claims that convective clouds in the northwest region could result in rain, isolated thunderstorms, and lightning across Delhi, Punjab, and the states and UTs that border them.

The prediction comes after Delhi saw record-breaking rains on Friday that broke an 88-year-old rainfall record. The city saw 228.1 mm of rain in a 24-hour period, which is more than the usual amount of rain in June and the most since 1936.

The Met department clarified that a cloudburst was not the cause of the recent downpours that resulted in interruptions and unfortunate accidents.

For Delhi, the IMD has issued an "orange" signal for July 2–3. A week of gloomy sky is predicted, with Tuesday and Wednesday especially expected to see moderate to heavy rains. Furthermore, private weather forecaster Skymet predicts a new round of rainy weather in the Capital starting on July 2.

“The past two days have seen some respite from the downpours in Delhi and NCR (National Capital Region). However, weather experts predict a resurgence in rain activity, likely intensified rainfall over Delhi starting from July 2,” private weather-forecasting agency Skymet said in a post on X.

No rainfall was recorded on Monday, despite the capital being under an 'orange' alert and the IMD predicting moderate to heavy rainfall.

Madhya Pradesh: The meteorological office has issued an alert for heavy rainfall in about 22 districts in Madhya Pradesh for Wednesday (July 3). The Met Office also said that the temperature recorded a decline in the state right now. The temperature in the entire state recorded around 30 to 32 degrees Celsius and the conditions were likely to remain the same as of now."A trough line is passing from South Gujarat to Central Madhya Pradesh due to which a lot of moisture is arriving. Another trough line is passing from Punjab to Mizoram which is going through Uttar Pradesh.

Gujarat: Heavy rain continued to lash many parts of Gujarat on Tuesday, causing waterlogging, traffic snarls, and road closures. One of the affected cities is Valsad, where two main underpasses are closed due to flooding. According to officials, the city received 3.45 inches of rain in just two hours on Tuesday morning, resulting in severe flooding in several areas. The police have closed the underpasses by placing barricades, and there is waterlogging on the service road of National Highway 48 in the city. In Junagadh district, many roads, including two national highways, were closed on Monday due to heavy rain. District authorities reported that three state highways, six major district connecting roads, and 40 panchayat roads have been closed due to flooding.

Arunachal Pradesh: Amid a flood-like situation in Arunachal Pradesh, the Assam Rifles has launched Operation Saviour to rescue stranded civilians in flood-affected villages of the state. According to the Assam Rifles, close to 500 civilians have been rescued by the troops from far-flung villages in the areas of Vijoypur, Dharampur, Mudoi, Shrishtipur, Hanthi Mara Beel and Chowkham.

Punjab to Mizoram: There is a trough extending from Punjab to Mizoram at lower trophospheric levels, and a cyclonic circulation centred over Haryana. As a result, extensive rainfall is expected throughout northwest and central India over the next five days, (until July 6).

Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh are expected to see sporadic heavy rains due to the effect of the cyclonic circulation.

An IMD statement dated July 1 says it is predicted that there will be isolated heavy rainfall over the following states until July 5: West Rajasthan on July 5, East Madhya Pradesh on July 3/July 4, and Chhattisgarh on July 2/July 3. The states include Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

There are currently two cyclonic circulations hitting Sikkim, northeast Assam, and sub-Himalayan West Bengal. As a result, heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is predicted in various areas. Over the next five days, heavy rainfall is predicted in the following areas: sub-Himalayan Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Meghalaya, and Tripura.