BackIMD warns of heavy rainfall in seven states
IMD issues heavy rainfall red alert in the states of Bihar, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand
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New Delhi: Warning of very heavy rainfall in seven states on 16 and 17 July, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a red alert in the states of Bihar, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
In its weekly update, the government forecaster said the monsoon had covered the entire country this week and the surplus stood at 2% since the season began in June.
Madhya Pradesh and Assam struggled with floods in the past week as heavy rainfall lashed the states and rivers rose above the danger mark.
Although the flood situation in Assam has eased, the Brahmaputra and Dhansiri rivers in the state are still flowing above the danger mark.
.jpg "Graphic: Naveen Kumar Saini/Mint")
More than one lakh people have been affected in six districts of Assam, crop land of 8,684 hectares has been damaged and 16 relief camps have been set up so far in the state, according to the latest update from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.
The update highlighted that during this week, the south-west monsoon advanced into the remaining parts of the north Arabian Sea, Kutch and west Rajasthan and covered the entire country on Wednesday.
For the country as a whole, the cumulative rainfall during the week ended 13 July was 11% above normal, primarily pushed by heavy rainfall in central India.
This week north-west, south peninsular and east-northeastern regions of the country received 39%, 14% and 47% deficit rainfall, respectively, while central India received 91% more than the normal rainfall.
“Near-normal rainfall activity is likely over peninsular India till 30 July and subdued rainfall activity is likely over central and west India from 16 to 30 July," said the IMD update.
So far, this monsoon season, 77% of the country’s area received normal to excess rainfall, while 23% of the country received deficient rainfall.
The bulletin added that above-normal rainfall activity is likely over western Himalayan region and Indo-Gangetic plains till 20 July and over northeastern states till 30 July.
According to private weather forecaster Skymet, “rains will go mute over large portions of the country, especially the plains, after the next 48 hours. Besides this, west coast which is the rainiest pocket of the country will also witness less rains."
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