Weather today: Himachal, Gujarat, 8 more states on IMD's orange alert; cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides wreak havoc

Weather Update: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued orange alert warnings for a number of states for July 5, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Goa, West Bengal and for coastal areas of Karnataka. 

As rains wreak havoc over several parts of the country, around 43 people died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh in the last 14 days while 37 others went missing, PTI reported. Cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides crippled normal life in the state. With rivers flowing above danger mark, IMD warned against “Extremely heavy rainfall (≥21 cm) very likely at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh on 06th July.”

Rampant waterlogging was reported in Odisha. Many of Madhya Pradesh districts were on red alert for heavy rains on July 4. The weather agency in its latest press release stated, “Extremely heavy rainfall (≥21 cm) very likely at isolated places over Ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra on 06th & 07th July.”

In the weather bulletin dated July 4, IMD stated, “Isolated heavy rainfall likely over… East Uttar Pradesh, West Rajasthan on 05th and during 08th-10th; Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir during 05th-09th July with very heavy rainfall over Jammu on 06th; Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand during 05th-08th; Punjab, Haryana on 06th & 07th; West Uttar Pradesh on 06th.”

Besides this, isolated heavy rainfall activity has been forecasted in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, East Rajasthan, West Uttar Pradesh until July 10 and heavy downpour is likely in East Rajasthan till July 6 and then again on July 9 and 10.

IMD scientist Naresh Kumar informed ANI that two circulations have formed in Madhya Pradesh and northern Odisha, which are conducive to heavy rainfall.

Amid possibility of “isolated heavy rainfall” in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on July 5, the IMD issued fisherman warning and warned them against venturing out into Arabian Sea or Bay of Bengal.