The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has reported the formation of a fresh low-pressure area over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal, off the north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts. The system is expected to intensify into a depression within 24 hours and move west-northwestwards, likely crossing the south Odisha–north Andhra Pradesh coasts by the forenoon of August 19.
The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall across central India and the west coast in the coming days. Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat are expected to witness intense rain spells for the next week. Extremely heavy showers have been predicted over Konkan (including Mumbai) and Goa, as well as the ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra until August 19, and in Gujarat till August 20. Saurashtra is expected to see peak activity on August 19 and 20.
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha are also likely to receive heavy to very heavy rain over the next two days. Isolated extremely heavy rainfall (over 20 cm) is forecast over coastal Andhra Pradesh between August 17–18, and over Odisha and Telangana on August 18.
So far this season, heavy rainfall has mainly affected the Western Himalayas and adjoining plains, particularly Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. However, with the monsoon trough shifting south of its normal position, the rain belt has now moved towards central India and the west coast.
Meanwhile, the low-pressure system that developed on Saturday over south Chhattisgarh and nearby regions has shifted west-northwest, now lying over Vidarbha. It is expected to weaken gradually as it moves towards Gujarat by August 18, remaining as a remnant cyclonic circulation.
The IMD also noted multiple upper air cyclonic circulations — over the northeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Gujarat-Konkan, over central Pakistan and Punjab, as well as associated troughs extending across Marathwada, Vidarbha, and south Chhattisgarh — all contributing to widespread rainfall.
Isolated heavy showers are also likely in the Western Himalayas and northwestern states. Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad may receive rain until August 19; Himachal Pradesh on August 17–18 and again during August 21–23; and Uttarakhand and East Rajasthan over the next week. Punjab may see showers till August 19 and again on August 23, while Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi could get heavy rain on August 18, 22, and 23. Parts of Uttar Pradesh are also expected to be impacted.
Since June 1, rainfall across the country has been recorded at normal levels, with no overall excess reported.
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