NEW DELHI—Heavy monsoon rainfall prompted flood warnings and emergency preparedness measures across several Indian states on Tuesday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting heavy to extremely heavy rain over parts of the western Himalayan region, central India and the country's east as the southwest monsoon regained strength.
The IMD issued a red warning for isolated extremely heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Muzaffarabad, while orange alerts covered Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and parts of northeastern India. Authorities warned that intense rainfall could trigger flash floods, landslides, waterlogging and disruptions to transport in vulnerable areas.
State administrations activated disaster response teams and advised residents in flood-prone and hilly regions to avoid unnecessary travel. In Himachal Pradesh, precautionary closures of government and private schools were ordered in several high-risk districts after the IMD issued a red alert for exceptionally heavy rainfall and associated hazards.
Mumbai and surrounding districts of Thane and Raigad were placed under an orange alert as forecasters warned of strengthening monsoon conditions. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation also cautioned residents about the possibility of flooding during periods of high tide coinciding with heavy rain.
The IMD said the active monsoon would continue to affect large parts of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam and other northeastern states over the coming days. Forecasts also called for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning in several regions, with authorities urging people to monitor official weather updates and follow local advisories.
Weather officials said enhanced rainfall activity followed a revival of the southwest monsoon after a relatively subdued phase. The IMD's extended outlook indicated that heavy to very heavy rainfall would likely persist across eastern and northeastern India, eastern Uttar Pradesh and the western Himalayan region during the week, increasing the risk of localized flooding and landslides.
As of Tuesday, officials continued to monitor river levels, road conditions and rainfall across affected states. The IMD advised residents, travelers and local authorities to remain alert for further warnings as the monsoon system remained active.
