With the southwest monsoon covering the entire country six days ahead of the normal date, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued an 'orange' alert for very heavy rainfall in the national capital Delhi, neighbouring Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Eastern Rajasthan. As per the weather agency, heavy rainfall is also likely in West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh July 3.


A ‘red’ alert was also issued for Gujarat as the IMD forecasts extremely heavy rainfall in Surat, Navsari, and Valsad in south Gujarat, as well as Jamnagar, Porbandar, Junagadh, Dwarka, and Kutch in the Saurashtra-Kutch region of state on July 3.


The orange alert signifies a preparedness advisory for authorities due to the potential for heavy rainfall exceeding 115.6 mm and up to 204.4 mm within 24 hours, while the red alert is the most urgent form of alert, signaling rainfall exceeding 204.5 mm within 24 hours.


Above-normal rainfall was recorded in several northeastern states over the past week, leading to heavy flooding, landslides, and waterlogging in some areas of Assam, Sikkim, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh. Torrential monsoon rains have caused the Brahmaputra River to swell, inundating large parts of Assam. Flood in Assam has so far claimed 38 lives as 3 people died after drowning in flood waters in the last 24 hours. 


Weather Forecast For The Next 5 Days



  • As per IMD, light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning is very likely over Northwest and Central India during the next five days.

  • Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad from July 4 to July 7, and over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and East Rajasthan from July 3 till July 7. Similar weather patterns are also likely in West Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh on July 3.

  • Moreover, very heavy rainfall is predicted over Uttarakhand till July 7, and in Uttar Pradesh on July 6 and 7.

  • IMD also predicted widespread light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning with heavy to very heavy rainfall over Northeast India, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal during the next five days.

  • "Isolated heavy rainfall very likely over Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura till July 7; Andaman and Nicobar Islands on July 4 and 5; Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand on July 3 and 4, and in Odisha on July 6 and 7," IMD said. 

  • Moreover, IMD said isolated very heavy rainfall is also predicted over Biharo n July 3 and in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya till July 4.

  • Very heavy rainfall is also predicted over sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura till July 5. 

  • For southern and western India, IMD predicted fairly widespread to widespread, light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning over Kerala, Lakshadweep, Coastal Karnataka, Konkan, Goa, and Gujarat during the next five days.

  • Scattered to fairly widespread, light to moderate rainfall is also likely over Madhya Maharashtra, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Interior Karnataka, Marathwada, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Telangana till July 7. 

  • "Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Konkan, Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Kerala, Mahe, Coastal and South Interior Karnataka till July 7; Saurashtra and Kutch on Wednesday; Gujarat Region during till July 5. Isolated, very heavy rainfall is also very likely over Konkan, Goa, Madhya Maharashtra on July 6 and 7," IMD said.