IMD issues orange alert in Kerala; Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir amongst other states to receive heavy rain
The IMD has issued an orange alert as rains continued to batter several parts of Kerala on Saturday, prolonging waterlogging and inundation in many districts.
Moderate rainfall accompanied by winds reaching up to 30 kmph is very likely at isolated places in Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, the India Meteorological Department said.
For Sunday, the IMD has issued an orange alert for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.
A yellow alert is in place for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram districts, forecasting heavy rainfall between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm in 24 hours.
Besides, Kerala, national capital witnessed a slight decrease in the minimum temperature on Saturday, even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for the day, forecasting light to moderate rain.
Safdarjung, representing the city’s weather, recorded a minimum temperature of 24.7 degrees Celsius, 2.2 degrees below normal and a 0.9-degree.
Additionally, north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal are likely to experience thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds and light to moderate rainfall at isolated places on Saturday, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, has said.
According to the latest weather bulletin, a weak atmospheric circulation extending up to about 5.8 km above sea level persists from the southwest Bay of Bengal across Tamil Nadu towards the north Kerala coast.
Another weak circulation is prevailing in the lower atmospheric levels over the coastal areas of north Tamil Nadu. Under the influence of these weather systems, isolated places in districts along the Western Ghats are likely to receive moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph on Saturday.
Further, the IMD has issued an orange alert for districts in Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh and Assam. The IMD said thunderstorms and lightning accompanied by gusty winds of 40-60 kmph and moderate to intense/heavy rainfall of 5-15 mm per hour or more.
Himachal Pradesh is likely to witness intensified monsoon activity from August 10, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing an Orange Alert for Chamba, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi and warning of heavy rainfall, flash floods, landslides and rising water levels in rivers and streams.