Monsoon brings joy to Kolkata and destruction to Himachal as rain continues across India
The monsoon’s grip over India has tightened further, with several states witnessing intensified rainfall leading to red and orange alerts from the India Meteorological Department. From Maharashtra to Madhya Pradesh and the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh, rainfall has not only inundated roads but also triggered landslides, disrupted rescue operations, and put large swathes of the country on high weather alert.
In Madhya Pradesh, the IMD has issued a red alert for Balaghat and Mandla, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall. An orange alert remains active across several other districts including Jabalpur, Umaria, Chhindwara, and Seoni. The state has recorded an astonishing 68 percent more rainfall than normal between June 1 and July 7, receiving 321.2 mm compared to an average of 191.3 mm. This uptick is a clear marker of an aggressive monsoon season making its way across central India.
Maharashtra has not been spared either, with red alerts in place for Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, and Gondia districts. The regional forecast has also flagged Nagpur, Amravati, and Raigad under orange alert. Mumbai remains under yellow alert as the rains continue, with civic bodies already managing dam water releases to prevent overflows.
Meanwhile, Delhi and the surrounding NCR region have been placed under a yellow alert, with cloudy skies and moderate showers expected alongside lightning and thunderstorms. The capital is likely to see temperatures fluctuate between 24 and 35 degrees Celsius. Areas including Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar are also bracing for spells of rain under the yellow advisory.
In the north, Himachal Pradesh is grappling with the aftermath of landslides and a cloudburst. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for July 8 and 9 in districts such as Una, Bilaspur, Solan, and Sirmaur. With rescue operations underway, authorities remain on edge as the rain persists and the flash flood risk remains moderate for at least ten districts.
Further north in Punjab, heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms has prompted an orange alert in regions like Patiala, Bathinda, Muktsar, and Firozpur. The forecast for Chandigarh suggests a generally cloudy sky, with daytime temperatures expected between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius.
As of now, orange alerts extend to East Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, and parts of Uttarakhand. The strengthening monsoon is leaving a powerful imprint across the subcontinent, bringing much-needed relief to water bodies and agriculture, but also unleashing a fresh set of challenges for disaster response teams, civic authorities, and residents.
