NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a flash flood alert for several watersheds and neighbourhoods across East Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Madhya Pradesh, the Gujarat Region, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, and Marathwada until July 9.
According to the IMD’s National Flash Flood Guidance Bulletin, the affected regions could receive very heavy rainfall of up to 190 mm over the next 24 hours. The IMD said these watersheds are of particular concern as soil saturation levels have reached 95-100%, significantly increasing the risk of flash floods. In comparison, soil saturation across the rest of the country is around 40%.
Flash floods are sudden inundations caused by extreme rainfall, typically occurring within six hours of heavy precipitation. They are marked by a rapid rise in water levels followed by a swift recession, making them unpredictable and potentially devastating.
Satellite imagery indicates scattered to broken intense convective clouds over Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Madhya Pradesh, the Gujarat Region, Konkan & Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, and Marathwada, raising the likelihood of cloudburst-induced flash floods.
The bulletin has forecast a low to moderate flash flood threat over the next six hours for the Gujarat Region, including Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Valsad districts, and for the Konkan & Goa region, covering Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban, Palghar, Raigad, and Thane districts.
On July 9, a moderate flash flood risk is expected in the Gujarat region, east Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, central Maharashtra and Marathwada. The Konkan and Goa region is also likely to remain at risk. Additionally, a low to moderate flash flood threat has been forecast over the next 24 hours for Himachal and Uttarakhand. The IMD has predicted widespread rainfall across Central, East, and Northeast India.