Southwest monsoon lashes several states; more rain expected

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that rain lashed several states across the country on Sunday and it would become more intense, leading to heavy rainfall in coming days. It also said that the southwest monsoon has now covered nearly 85 per cent of the geographical area of the country.

New Delhi: Since its onset on June 3, the southwest monsoon has now covered nearly 85 per cent of the geographical area of the country. By Monday, the monsoon covered the entire Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, some parts of Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said that the monsoon is most likely to arrive in Delhi in the next two to three days. It further said that rain lashed several states across the country on Sunday and more showers are expected over the next few days.

Rainfall and thunderstorm activity over Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh is likely to further increase from the early morning hours of June 15 to June 16, according to the IMD. As per the weather forecast, light to moderate rain (1-3 cm) at many places with isolated heavy rain (6-7cm) may continue over Punjab, Haryana including Chandigarh during the next 48 hours.

"Isolated thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds (30-50 kmph) likely during this period," as per the weather agency. Rainfall and thunderstorm activity is likely to further increase from the early morning hours of June 15 to June 16, light to moderate rainfall (1-5 cm) at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-12 cm) at isolated places likely during this period," IMD Chandigarh stated.

On Sunday, a thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds lashed the adjoining areas of Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal, Panipat, Gannaur, Fatehabad, Barwala, Narwana, Rajaund, Assandh, Safidon, Jind, Gohana, Hissar, Hansi and Meham.

Odisha dispels flood threat despite heavy rain forecast

Despite the southwest monsoon covering the entire Odisha and the IMD forecasting heavy downpour in the state in the next 2-3 days due to a low-pressure area, the state government on Sunday asserted that there is no flood threat as of now. Water Resources Engineer-in-Chief Jyotirmaya Rath said that the advancement of monsoon and the low-pressure area is triggering moderate rainfall in the upper catchment areas of Mahanadi.

While ruling out the possibility of flood in the lower catchment areas, Rath said the water level of Hirakud Dam has remained at 600.79 feet as against the optimum level of 630 feet. The IMD said that the low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal is likely to move across Odisha, Jharkhand and north Chhattisgarh in the next 2-3 days.

According to the IMD forecast, heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely to occur in one or two places over the districts of Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj. The IMD forecast indicated that there will be heavy rainfall both in the upper catchment and delta areas of the river Mahanadi as the low-pressure area moves.

Orange alert in Karnataka

Orange alert has been announced for the coastal districts of Karnataka till June 17 as the entire state is very likely to experience widespread rainfall, IMD's Bengaluru unit director CS Patil said. "Entire Karnataka state is very likely to experience widespread rainfall from June 13 to 17. Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga and Chikmagaluru are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall for which orange alert is announced from June 13 to 17," Patil said. According to him, Bengaluru is very likely to experience light to moderate rainfall during the next two days.

Monsoon arrives in J&K, Ladakh earlier than usual

The Meteorological Department announced on Monday that the monsoon season arrived in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh 17 to 18 days earlier than usual. "The IMD has declared the arrival of monsoon over J&K and Ladakh on June 13 which is 17 to 18 days ahead of the normal onset," said Sonam Lotus, Director of the MET Department. The Met Department has forecast scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rain and thundershowers in Jammu and Kashmir in the next 24 hours. Srinagar recorded 15.6, Pahalgam 10.2 and Gulmarg 7.8 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperatures on Monday.

(With agency inputs)