The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued a ‘red’ alert of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall for sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim. The weather department has also issued an ‘orange’ alert of heavy to very heavy rainfall for Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Bihar.
“Potential isolated Heavy to Very heavy with Extremely heavy rainfall (more than 204.2mm) expected in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on August 25; isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall expected in Arunachal Pradesh, and Bihar on August 25; and in Assam, Meghalaya from August 25 to August 27,” an IMD bulletin read.
Notably, IMD’s ‘red’ alert indicates rainfall over 20 cm while an ‘orange’ alert indicates ‘very heavy rainfall’ – between six and 20 cm. The ‘yellow’ alert indicates between six and 11 cm of rainfall.
Advising fishermen not to venture into the Southwest Arabian Sea and central Bay of Bengal, the IMD said, “Squally wind speed of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph very likely over Westcentral and adjoining Southwest Arabian Sea on Friday; Squally wind speed of 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph over north adjoining central Bay of Bengal.”
It also added, “Thunderstorm with lightning very likely at isolated places over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-GilgitBaltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam & Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura, Telangana.”
‘Yellow’ alert in Himachal Pradesh
Meanwhile, the weather department has issued a ‘yellow’ alert in Himachal Pradesh where incessant rainfall has triggered massive landslides, flooding, and cloudbursts this monsoon. Over 200 people have also died in rain-related accidents in the hilly state.
“There is a possibility of heavy rainfall in parts of the districts of Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Mandi, Kullu, Una, Bilaspur and Kangra. We have issued a yellow alert for 24 and 25 August.,” IMD scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma told ANI.
