IMD issues ‘red’ alert for heavy rainfall in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha | Weather Updates

PTC News Desk: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘red’ alert for West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha, warning of extremely heavy rainfall on Sunday. The department has also issued an ‘orange’ alert for Chhattisgarh, East Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar, predicting very heavy rainfall in those regions.

According to the IMD, Gangetic West Bengal is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall at most places, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few locations and isolated instances of extremely heavy rainfall on September 15. Isolated heavy rainfall is also expected on September 16, with light to moderate rainfall continuing over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal.

For Odisha, the IMD predicts light to moderate rainfall at most locations, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall over north Odisha on September 15. The heavy rainfall will likely continue in some areas on September 16 and 17.

In Jharkhand, light to moderate rainfall is expected, with heavy to very heavy rainfall and isolated instances of extremely heavy rain over southern parts of the state between September 15 and 17.

Bihar, East Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh are also expected to receive light to moderate rainfall at most locations, with heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated places during the same period.

The IMD warns of possible localised flooding, waterlogging in low-lying areas, underpass closures, landslides, reduced visibility, and potential traffic disruptions over the next two days. Fishermen have been advised to avoid venturing into the north Bay of Bengal until Monday. Residents are urged to avoid waterlogged areas and check for traffic congestion before traveling.

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Why the Heavy Rainfall Alerts?

The extreme weather is attributed to a deep depression formed over Gangetic West Bengal. This system is expected to move slowly westward and maintain its intensity as a deep depression until Sunday evening, gradually weakening into a depression over the following 24 hours.

As of 5:30 a.m. on September 15, the deep depression was centered 40 km west-northwest of Kolkata, 130 km east-southeast of Bankura, 190 km east of Jamshedpur, and 290 km east-southeast of Ranchi. The system is expected to move slowly westward, crossing Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, and North Chhattisgarh, weakening over the next 24 hours.

Yellow alert for northeast India

A ‘yellow’ alert has also been issued for northeastern states, with heavy rainfall expected in Mizoram, Tripura, Assam, and Meghalaya on September 15 and 16. Moderate rainfall is likely in many areas, with isolated heavy showers in these regions.

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