IMD forecasts heavy rainfall in east, northeast
Compared to eastern and northeastern India, rainfall activity is expected to remain subdued over northwest, west-central and south Peninsular India during the next seven days
New Delhi: A well-marked low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Odisha-West Bengal coast is set to intensify rainfall across eastern and northeastern India over the next week, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Large parts of northwest, west-central and south peninsular India are likely to witness below-normal monsoon activity.
The IMD has also forecast rainfall over eastern Uttar Pradesh and the western Himalayan region during the next seven days.
Odisha is expected to receive fairly widespread rainfall on 17-18 July. Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim are also likely to receive widespread rainfall, with heavy to very heavy showers at isolated places through the week. Northeastern states, including Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, are expected to witness widespread rainfall, with isolated spells of very heavy rain.
The forecast follows extremely heavy rainfall of more than 21 cm in Odisha, while Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bihar recorded very heavy rainfall. Heavy rain was also reported in east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Konkan, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Nagaland and Tripura.
Subdued in northwest
Compared to eastern and northeastern India, rainfall activity is expected to remain subdued over northwest, west-central and south Peninsular India during the next seven days and across the plains of northwest India for the next three days, raising concerns over uneven monsoon distribution. Overall, rainfall activity is likely to be normal to above normal over most parts of east and northeast India and below normal over the remaining parts of the country during 16-22 July.
Across central India, rainfall is expected to remain scattered over West Madhya Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha during the next few days.
For the following week (23-29 July), the IMD has forecast near-normal to above-normal rainfall over parts of east and central India, while most other regions are likely to continue receiving below-normal rainfall.
The weather office has also warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of up to 60 kmph across several eastern states. Squally winds reaching up to 80 kmph are likely at isolated places over Punjab and Gujarat.
Meanwhile, heatwave conditions are expected to persist over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal through 17 July. Hot and humid weather is also forecast over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and parts of Uttar Pradesh on 17-18 July.
The country is running a rainfall deficit so far, while the India Meteorological Department's monthly outlook forecasts below-normal rainfall in July, at less than 94% of the long-period average (LPA).
About the Author
Vijay C. Roy is a journalist with over 21 years of experience covering various news beats across different organisations such as Business Standard and The Tribune. In the past, he has covered beats such as finance, auto, MSME, commodities, FMCG, pharmaceutical, agriculture, IT/ITES, infrastructure and start-ups. He joined Mint in February 2025, and covers agriculture, food processing, fertilizers, environment and climate change, bringing over two decades of experience reporting on farm policy, food inflation, crop trade, and rural livelihoods.<br><br>Vijay’s areas of reporting include food security and climate change policies, focusing on their impact on different stakeholders and their implications. His expertise lies in simplifying complex agri-economic issues such as edible oil import dependence, cotton and wheat trends, fertiliser subsidies, and climate-related risks. He has covered key developments including global supply disruptions and evolving trade policies, offering both macroeconomic perspective and field-level context. Known for his credible and balanced reporting, he follows a rigorous, fact-based approach that prioritises accuracy and context. He is driven by a commitment to public interest, aiming to make critical agricultural and economic issues accessible while contributing to informed policy and industry discussions.
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