NEW DELHI—India's Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday issued heavy to extremely heavy rainfall warnings for several northern and eastern states as an active southwest monsoon intensified, prompting authorities to advise residents in vulnerable areas to remain alert for flash floods, landslides and waterlogging.
The IMD placed parts of Himachal Pradesh under a red warning for isolated extremely heavy rainfall, while orange alerts for heavy to very heavy rain were issued for Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and parts of northeastern India. The weather office also forecast continued heavy rainfall over eastern states, including Jharkhand and Odisha, over the coming days.
According to the IMD, enhanced monsoon activity is expected to bring widespread rainfall, thunderstorms and lightning across large parts of northern, eastern and northeastern India through much of the week. The department warned that intense rain could trigger localized flooding in low-lying areas, rapid rises in river levels, disruption to transport services and landslides in hilly terrain.
In the western Himalayan region, authorities advised people living near rivers, streams and landslide-prone slopes to avoid unnecessary travel during periods of intense rainfall. State administrations in vulnerable districts have been monitoring weather conditions and coordinating preparedness measures, including emergency response teams where required.
The IMD also forecast moderate to heavy rainfall for the National Capital Region, where Delhi remained under a yellow alert, while neighboring states were expected to receive more widespread precipitation as the monsoon strengthened. In eastern India, Bihar, West Bengal and adjoining areas were forecast to experience periods of heavy rain, with localized flooding possible in urban and low-lying locations.
Weather officials urged residents to follow advisories issued by local authorities, avoid crossing flooded roads and stay away from fast-flowing streams during heavy downpours. The department said thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds were also likely in several affected regions.
The latest warnings come as the southwest monsoon regains strength after a comparatively weaker phase in parts of the country earlier this month. The IMD said rainfall activity is expected to remain active across northern, eastern and northeastern India over the next several days, with forecasts to be updated as weather systems evolve.
