Deep depression to bring rain and winds to east, central India on Thursday
The Bay of Bengal system will drive a major rain spell on Thursday even as the southwest monsoon continues withdrawing from north India. Read latest forecast here.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and squally winds across large parts of east, central and south India on Thursday, September 24, as a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal moves inland.
According to the IMD's forecast, the system was centred over the westcentral and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal on Wednesday morning, roughly 60 km southeast of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
It was expected to cross the north Andhra Pradesh–south Odisha coast, close to Kalingapatnam, as a deep depression by Wednesday night, setting the stage for widespread rain as it tracks inland on Thursday.
WHERE WILL IT RAIN THE HEAVIEST?
Chhattisgarh, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana are forecast to see heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated pockets of extremely heavy rain on Thursday.
Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal & Sikkim are likely to receive heavy to very heavy showers, while the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam, Meghalaya, parts of Madhya Pradesh, East Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala can expect heavy rainfall in isolated places.
Thundersqualls with wind speeds of 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph, are likely over Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana.
Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph are forecast for the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Konkan & Goa, Maharashtra and Rayalaseema.
Several other states, including Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim and Tamil Nadu, may see milder thunderstorm activity.
MONSOON CONTINUES TO RETREAT
Even as eastern and central India brace for heavy rain, the southwest monsoon continued its seasonal withdrawal on Wednesday, pulling back from most of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
The monsoon also officially withdrew from the national capital, marking the start of the annual transition out of the monsoon season, which typically runs from June to September across the country.
A separate weather system, an upper-air cyclonic circulation, was also noted over northwest Uttar Pradesh, contributing to unsettled conditions in that region.
The IMD's forecast reflects the season's final active spell, as the retreating monsoon and the Bay of Bengal system together dictate contrasting weather across the country this week.