Monsoon rains to intensify across east, central and north India as depression forms
A depression over Jharkhand is likely to trigger very heavy rain in parts of eastern and central India, while the Western Himalayas face a week of heavy rainfall.
A depression over Jharkhand and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal is set to intensify monsoon rainfall across parts of eastern and central India over the next two days, with isolated very heavy rain expected in Odisha, Jharkhand, East Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The Western Himalayan region, meanwhile, is likely to see heavy to very heavy rainfall through most of the week.
India’s cumulative southwest monsoon rainfall was 12% below normal between 1 June and 12 August, with East and Northeast India recording the largest seasonal deficit, according to the IMD. The country received 486.2 mm of rainfall during the period, against the normal 552.6 mm. East and Northeast India recorded a 26% deficit, followed by South Peninsular India at 19% and Northwest India at 11%. Rainfall in central India was broadly in line with its seasonal normal.
Isolated very heavy rainfall is likely over Odisha and Jharkhand on Friday, followed by East Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on 15 August. The IMD also forecast isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over the Western Himalayan region on most days of the week. The plains of northwest India are likely to receive isolated heavy rainfall during the period.
Rain spreads north
In the northwest, the IMD forecast fairly widespread to widespread monsoon rainfall across Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad and Uttarakhand from 15-20 August. Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Punjab are likely to see similar rainfall activity on 15 August, while West Uttar Pradesh is expected to receive widespread rain on 15-16 August. East Uttar Pradesh is likely to witness widespread rainfall during 16-20 August. The remaining parts of northwest India are likely to see isolated to scattered rainfall during the period.
In central India, widespread monsoon rainfall is likely over West Madhya Pradesh during 15-16 August, Chhattisgarh and East Madhya Pradesh during 15-20 August, and Vidarbha during 15-18 August.
The weather systems could increase the risk of waterlogging and flash floods in vulnerable and already saturated areas, particularly across hilly and low-lying regions. Amid the heavy rains, the IMD has warned of a low to moderate flash-flood risk across several watersheds and neighbourhoods in northern, central and eastern India over the next 24 hours.
In the north, the risk covers several districts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, and West Uttar Pradesh. In central and eastern India, vulnerable areas include districts in Chhattisgarh, East Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand.
The IMD said surface runoff and inundation could occur in fully saturated soils and low-lying areas following the expected rainfall.
Meanwhile, very heavy monsoon rainfall of 12-20 cm was recorded in Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, East Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar in the past 24 hours. Heavy rainfall of 7-11 cm was recorded in parts of East Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra, West Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim, Assam and East Madhya Pradesh.
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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