Gujarat rains: IMD issues orange alert, predicts very heavy rains in THESE areas for next 5 days

The Indian Meteorological Department of India (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rains in most parts of Gujarat for the next five days till September 5, 2024. While the state is out of the grip of the rare Cyclone Asna that was expected over Saurashtra and Kutch regions, Gujarat will have squally winds up to the speeds of 40 to 50 kms per hour.

In addition, the weather observatory has further issued an orange alert for South Gujarat regions, predicting ‘heavy to very heavy rains’ at isolated areas. Vadodara, Bharuch, Anand, Narmada, Panchmahal, Dahod, and Chota Udepur are expected to witness heavy rains over the course of next few days.

Meanwhile regions such as Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Ahmedabad and districts of Saurashtra-Kutch namely Rajkot, Jamnagar and several others will witness light to moderate thunderstorms with lightning, said the Met Department in its latest bulletin.

Gusty winds with speeds ranging from 30 to 40 kms per hour has also been forecasted for these regions.

IMD on Cyclone Asna

According to the Met Dept, the much feared Cyclone Asna has now moved towards the Arabian Sea, and will not have any impact on Indian coasts. Notably, only three cyclonic storms have developed over the Arabian Sea in August from 1891 to 2023.

Aftermath of Gujarat rains

Over the past few days, rainfall wreaked havoc in several parts of Gujarat, including cities like Vadodara and Ahmedabad. Severe waterlogging and massive flooding resulted in huge losses of lives and property in the state.

Till date, 32 people have died due to the incidents triggered by heavy rains in Gujarat. Over 18,000 individuals have been evacuated, and approximately 1,200 have been rescued from flood-affected areas across the state.

A road leading to the Statue of Unity in Gujarat had collapsed due to flooding in the state. Huge cracks were also observed in the highway near Rajvi Crossing on Dabhoi Road which had to be closed to prevent accidents, stated reports.