IMD issues red alert for heavy rain, thunderstorms in Gujarat, Kerala
New Delhi, August 1
The India Meteorological Department on Saturday issued a red warning for thunderstorms and lightning accompanied by gusty winds of around 60 kmph and heavy rain exceeding 15 mm per hour in several districts of Gujarat and Kerala for the next two to three hours.
According to the IMD's district-wise nowcast warning issued at 2:18 am on Saturday, the warning will remain valid until 5:18 am.
In Kerala, the red warning is in effect for Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.
In Gujarat, the red warning has been issued for Ahmedabad, Anand, Aravalli, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Botad, Gandhinagar, Kachchh, Khera, Mahesana, Morbi, Patan, Sabar Kantha, Surendranagar and Vadodara districts.
The IMD has also issued an orange warning for thunderstorms and lightning with gusty winds of 40-60 kmph and moderate rain of 5-15 mm per hour in several districts of Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Assam.
In Kerala, the orange warning covers Kannur, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kozhikode, Lakshadweep, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Wayanad.
In Gujarat, the warning has been issued for Amreli, Banaskantha, Chhota Udepur, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Dahod, Daman, Dangs, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Diu, Gir Somnath, Jamnagar, Junagarh, Mahisagar, Narmada, Navsari, Panchmahal, Porbandar, Rajkot, Surat, Tapi and Valsad.
Nandurbar in Maharashtra and Cachar, Jorhat and Lakhimpur in Assam are also under the orange warning.
The IMD has advised residents in the affected regions to remain alert and take necessary precautions, including avoiding shelter under trees or weak structures, checking road and traffic conditions, avoiding unnecessary travel and following advisories issued by concerned agencies.
Meanwhile, Navsari Collector Manish Gurwani, speaking to ANI, said approximately seven inches of rainfall was recorded in the district between 6 am and 8 pm.
"Approximately 7 inches of rainfall has been recorded in the district between 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM. Specifically, Vansda taluka recorded 13 inches, while Navsari and Khergam recorded 8 inches each. Three major rivers flow through the district: the Purna is flowing at 25.5 feet against a danger level of 23 feet; the Kaveri is at 24 feet against a danger level of 19 feet; and the Ambika is currently flowing at 26 feet against a danger level of 28 feet," Gurwani said.
He said the district administration has relocated 9,236 people to safe locations.
"The district administration has relocated 9,236 people to safe locations. Due to the rainfall, a total of 188 roads, comprising 9 RNP/state roads and 179 panchayat roads, have been closed. Three SDRF teams, one NDRF team, and one Army column have been kept on standby in the district. In light of these conditions, a holiday has been declared for tomorrow across all schools, colleges, ITIs, and Anganwadis in the district. Senior district officials are continuously assessing and reviewing the situation from the District Emergency Operation Center," he added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Living in Ahmedabad and the sudden thunderstorm at 2 AM was terrifying! Power went out for 2 hours. But honestly, I'm grateful for IMD's nowcast warnings - at least we knew what was coming upto some extent. Wish the alerts reached more people though, especially in rural areas.
These early warnings are life-savers, seriously. Last year in Kerala we lost so many lives to flooding because warnings came too late. Now seeing red alerts 3 hours in advance gives people time to move to higher ground. Good to see the system improving. Stay safe everyone in Gujarat and Kerala! 🙏
Being from Surat, I've seen what bad flooding can do. The river levels they mentioned - Purna flowing at 25 feet against danger level of 23 - that's worrying. But I must say, district administrations in Gujarat have become very proactive. School holidays declared well in advance is a smart move. Better safe than sorry!
As someone who moved to India from the US, I'm always impressed by how well India handles these weather emergencies now. The coordination between IMD, NDRF, SDRF, and the army is impressive. But I think we could improve on warning dissemination - many people still rely on WhatsApp forwards more than official alerts.
My relatives in Vadodara said it rained so heavily that the drains couldn't keep up. The IMD warning said 15mm per hour but some areas got much more! I appreciate the alerts but Indian cities really need better stormwater managementinfrastructure. Long-term planning should go beyond just issuing warnings. 🌧️