No respite, downpour likely in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand till August 5

Aksheev Thakur
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 1
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light rainfall over Delhi NCR till August 5. The MeT Department has further issued a red alert for Thursday in certain areas of Himachal Pradesh and yellow alert till August 5. Uttarakhand too will receive heavy rainfall till August 5.
Kangra, Kullu and Mandi were put on red alert signalling extremely heavy rainfall on Thursday. These regions will receive heavy rains till August 5.
The Weather Department has also warned of continued rainfall in Kerala till August 4.
Amid Kerala Government’s claims that the IMD had only issued an orange alert in Wayanad ahead of the landslides, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Thursday said that it issued regular forecasts for significant rainfall activity along the west coast of India and a red alert for Kerala in the early morning of July 30 when the district was hit by landslides.
“The long-range forecast issued on July 25 indicated good rainfall activity along the west coast and central parts of the country from July 25 to August 1. We issued a yellow alert on July 25 and a red alert was issued in the early morning of July 30, indicating that very heavy rainfall, up to 20 cm, was expected,” Mohapatra said.
The IMD chief said that an orange alert means “be prepared to take action” and one should not wait for a red alert.
Similarly, warnings were in place for Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, he said.
“The reason behind heavy to very heavy rainfall in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is the shifting of the monsoon trough from south to north,” Mohapatra remarked.
He said that the rainfall over the entire country during the second half of the southwest monsoon season (August to September) 2024 is most likely to be above normal. However, regions like Saurashtra, Kutch, east India and Ladakh will receive below normal rainfall.
India recorded 9 per cent above normal rainfall in July. India recorded 306.6 mm rainfall in July compared to the usual 280.5 mm in the month, IMD said.
The monsoon is critical for India’s agricultural landscape with 52 per cent of the net cultivated area relying on it.
Since June 1, India has recorded 453.8 mm against the normal of 445.8 mm in the period.