IMD alerts people in Haryana, Uttarakhand as above-normal rain expected in July

Most parts of India are likely to receive above-normal rainfall in July, the weather department said on Monday, asking authorities and people in central India, Uttarakhand and Haryana to stay alert due to the risk of flooding.

The IMD said rainfall is likely to be below normal in large parts of the northeast, many areas of eastern India and extreme southern peninsular India.

Average maximum temperatures are expected to remain normal to below normal in many regions. However, parts of the northeast, northwest, east and southern peninsula are likely to see above-normal temperatures, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said during an online press briefing.

The country gauges 28 cm of rainfall on average in July.

Mohapatra said there is a high chance of heavy rainfall in central India and the adjoining southern peninsula. This includes east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, adjoining areas of Vidarbha and Telangana and parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

“We should monitor the catchment areas of rivers such as the Godavari, Mahanadi and Krishna. Our models show a high probability of above-normal rainfall in the upper Mahanadi catchment, which includes Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. There are several other rivers in the region. We must closely watch rainfall activity and the water levels in reservoirs," he said.

He added that good rainfall is also expected in Uttarakhand and Haryana.

“This region includes several cities and towns, including Delhi. Many south-flowing rivers originate in Uttarakhand. We must take precautions for all these river catchments, cities and towns," Mohapatra said.

He said this kind of rainfall pattern usually occurs when the monsoon trough shifts south of its normal position and when multiple low-pressure systems form.

Typically, five low-pressure systems form in July and move in a west-northwest direction.

Haryana Tribune