Monsoon update: Heavy rains pound Mumbai, cloudbursts cause flash floods in J&K's Doda. When will Delhi get showers?

Heavy rains lashed Mumbai and several parts of Maharashtra on Wednesday morning as the forecast suggests continued heavy showers and intermittent thunderstorms across the city and its adjoining suburbs. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan are set for intense monsoon spell over the next few days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted active monsoon phase over central parts of the country during the week in view of presence of low-pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal.

The weather agency issued orange alert for 1 July for multiple states, prediction heavy downpour in East Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and parts of Maharashtra. IMD in its 30 June press release provided an update on the Southwest Monsoon and said that it has further advanced into some more parts of Madhya Pradesh, remaining parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, some parts of Uttar Pradesh, most parts of Uttarakhand, some parts of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.

In June, India received nearly 40% less rainfall than normal, making it the fifth-driest month since 1901. Remarkably, last month was the most arid June since 2014, hence driest in 12 years. With projections of below-normal rainfall in July, IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Tuesday said precipitation this month is expected to be less than 94% of the long-term average of about 28 centimeters, attributing it to the emergence of an El Niño weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean.

Predicting drop in maximum temperatures by 3 to 5°C over Northwest India till 2 July, IMD forecasted that monsoon clouds will bring showers in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in the first week of July. “Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Punjab during 2nd-4th July and on 6th July; Himachal Pradesh on 1st July and during 5th-6th July; Uttarakhand during 3rd-6th July; Haryana Chandigarh & Delhi during 1st-3rd July; West Uttar Pradesh during 2nd-3rd July; East Uttar Pradesh during 1st-2ndJuly; East Rajasthan during 2nd-6th July,” the weather bulletin stated.

IMD warned against isolated very heavy rainfall is likely in the following regions:

• Himachal Pradesh from 2 to 4 July; Uttarakhand till 2 July; West Uttar Pradesh today
• West Madhya Pradesh between 2 and 4 July; East Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha till 3 July; Chhattisgarh on 1 July
• Gangetic West Bengal from 5 to 6 July; Bihar till 1 July; Odisha till 6 July.
• Konkan and Goa till 1 July and from 5 to 6 July; Gujarat on 2 July and from 5 to 6 July; Saurashtra and Kutch from 4 to 5 July.
• Kerala and Mahe and South Interior Karnataka on 1 July; Coastal Karnataka during till 2 July.

The heavy downpour in Jammu and Kashmir caused flash floods in Doda on Wednesday. Life was brought to a standstill as several roads were blocked after cloudbursts disrupted daily activities.

A day after heavy rains pounded Dehradun, IMD issued a heavy rainfall alert for the coming days. The rainfall warning will stay intact for Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district till 4 July, with the district administration urging residents to remain vigilant. The weather agency issued orange alerts for five districts, namely Nainital, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal and Udham Singh Nagar.

Delhi weather today

Delhi is on yellow alert today as IMD predicted, “A spell of very light to light rain/thunderstorm/lightning/gusty winds speed 40-50 kmph reaching to 60 kmph towards afternoon/evening.” The weather warning will stay intact till tomorrow and residents can expect a gradual fall in maximum and minimum temperatures by 5-7°C and 3-5°C, respectively, during next 2 days.

IMD Scientist Naresh Kumar in an interview with PTI said, "Monsoon expected to cover Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana in the next 2-3 days."