Monsoon Unsettled: Depression Triggers Heavy Rain, Red Alerts

The Indian monsoon has entered an active phase, with a deep depression over coastal West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh now driving a fresh spell of intense rainfall across large parts of the country. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the system, which formed from a low-pressure area over coastal West Bengal and the north Bay of Bengal, is expected to move northwestward, bringing heavy to extremely heavy rain to several states over the coming days. The depression has prompted the IMD to issue a red alert for parts of Odisha and Jharkhand, warning that isolated locations may record more than 20 cm of rainfall within 24 hours. An orange alert remains in place for Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, eastern Madhya Pradesh and western Uttar Pradesh on the following day, as the rain belt gradually shifts westward towards central and northern India, according to CNBC TV18 and Times Now.

Jammu and Kashmir: Heavy Rain and Safety Advisories

In the north, Jammu and Kashmir experienced an intense downpour accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, triggering caution from district administrations. The Ramban district administration issued an alert advising residents, particularly those living in upper reaches or near rivers, streams, and other water bodies, to remain cautious and avoid unnecessary travel, as reported by ANI and Daily Excelsior. Rainfall also lashed neighbouring Udhampur district, bringing temperatures down and creating wet conditions across the region. The meteorological data provided by the IMD show widespread precipitation across both divisions, with Srinagar recording a temperature of 16.2 degrees Celsius with 100 per cent rain, and Jammu City at 22.4 degrees Celsius, 98% rainfall. Gulmarg reported the lowest temperature in J&K at 10.6 degrees, while Pahalgam saw 14.2 degrees and 96% rainfall, Katra recorded 20.8 degrees Celsius, and Banihal and Kupwara temperatures were 17.4 degrees Celsius (93% rain) and 17 degrees Celsius (cloudy), respectively. The IMD forecast indicates that rainfall activity is likely to taper off gradually, becoming scattered light showers in the coming days, but the weather office also warned of a continued risk of thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds up to 60 km/h, flash floods, landslides, and mudslides in the hilly region, added the same newspapers.

Odisha: Floods, Rescue Operations, and School Closures

One of the most impacted areas has been the eastern state of Odisha, where torrential rain led to floodwaters entering low-lying villages. The block administration in Kalampur block, led by the Block Development Officer Vijay Kumar Marandi, rescued 293 people from the villages of Paruaguda and Bodelbandh, providing them with free ration, as officials told ThePrint. The flood situation also disrupted road communication: the Junagarh–Kalampur road and the Thuamul Rampur Road to Kashipur remain closed. In reply, the district administrations announced that all schools and anganwadi centres in Nabarangpur, and 89 schools in vulnerable areas of Bhadrak, would remain closed on Monday. Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling visited Bhadrak on Sunday and reviewed the flood situation, stating that 16 medical relief centres had been opened in the worst-affected blocks of Dhamnagar, Bhandaripokhari, Chandabali, and Tihidi. Additionally, eight rapid response teams and ten mobile health units were deployed, and over three lakh people in 244 villages across five blocks were reported affected. Medical surveillance registered 16 snake-bite cases and 107 cases of acute diarrhoeal disease (ADD), with 12,786 people treated for minor ailments. 21 rectal swabs and 657 water samples were collected for disease monitoring.

As per the IMD, the upper-air cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal off the West Bengal–Bangladesh coasts intensified into a low-pressure area early Sunday, and the system is expected to move northwestwards across north Odisha adjoining Gangetic West Bengal. The weather office issued an orange warning for six districts (Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, and Boudh) for Monday, with a yellow warning for 16 other districts including Balasore, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, and Kalahandi. Record rainfall was observed in several districts: Thuamula Rampur in Kalahandi recorded 345 mm in the last 24 hours, while Kashipur in Rayagada saw 212 mm; nineteen other locations registered between 100 mm and 150 mm.

Alerts and Forecasts: From Red to Yellow

According to the CNBC TV18 report, the IMD has also issued or programmed alerts for a wide swath of the country. On Sunday, an orange alert was active for Odisha, while Chhattisgarh joined the orange zone. Yellow alerts were placed for states including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. The forecast for Sunday included heavy rainfall in isolated spots over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Tripura, while southern India could see isolated heavy rain in coastal Karnataka, Kerala, Mahe, south interior Karnataka, and Telangana. The IMD also warned of thunderstorms and lightning in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal, with gusty winds of 40–50 kmph. Strong surface winds are expected over Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka on August 23, and squally weather with winds up to 65 kmph over parts of the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.

Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and the Maritime Warnings

In Delhi, light rain recorded early Sunday brought “relief” from heat and humidity, with the city receiving a total of 1 mm of rainfall between 8:30 pm Saturday and 8:30 am Sunday, according to inline multiple reports. The Safdarjung area observed mist and a temperature of 27°C at 8 am, while Ridge reported a light thunderstorm with a temperature of 26°C at 7 am past. IMD data noted a maximum cumulative rainfall at Pusa of 16.5 mm and minimal readings at Ridge (0.2 mm) and Faridabad (1.0 mm). The daily maximum temperature in Delhi is expected to remain between 33 and 35 degrees Celsius.

Tamil Nadu faces a different, yet weather-linked, situation: the Regional Meteorological Centre Chennai identified a feeble trough in the lower atmosphere off the coast, which is expected to cause moderate to lightly scattered rain and thunderstorms in the Western Ghats districts and several northern and coastal districts, with speeds of 40–50 kmph on Sunday. The IMD also said that the new low-pressure system over the north-western Bay of Bengal was unlikely to have a direct impact on Tamil Nadu, but the weather is being monitored.

At sea, maritime safety remains a major concern. Squally conditions are expected over the Bay of Bengal and along the West Bengal, Odisha, and north Andhra Pradesh coasts through August 24, with sea states turning rough to very rough, winds 40–50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph. There is a total prohibition for workers at sea, and the IMD has strongly advised fishermen not to venture into sea along those coasts until August 24. Ocean authorities and disaster1 management cells along the eastern coastline are on alert, revealed The Hindu in its maritime section.

Outlook for the Coming Days

The weather is expected to continue rather than subside. The IMD forecast for August indicates fairly widespread rainfall over the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim from August 22 to 28, while Jharkhand and Bihar will see heavier rain from August 23–28 and August 24–26 respectively. Uttarakhand is forecast to receive isolated heavy rainfall during a longer spell of 22–28. As the rain belt shifts westward, Madhya Pradesh, East Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and parts of Uttar Pradesh are likely to experience rainfall in the latter part of the week after Thursday, as predicted by the India Meteorological Department in a review. The weather office has, meanwhile, kept a caution for large parts of the region, as waterlogging, flash floods, rising river levels, and travel disruptions are possible during intense storms. In the Himalaya region, the IMD has placed Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand under an orange alert for heavy rain with possible landslides and flooding, as shown in the source text of Times Now.

Perspectives

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) asserts the current heavy rain spell is linked to a depression that formed over coastal West Bengal and the nearby Bay of Bengal. The system â developed from a low-pressure area – is expected to drive westward and enhance monsoon rains across India, generating widespread rainfall and gusty winds.

Odisha state authorities, including the district administration and health department, view the heavy rains as an emergency requiring active relief efforts. They are systematically rescuing villagers from floodbranded areas, providing medical support, and shutting schools in vulnerable zones.

Maritime safety and the fishing community in the east and coastal states are significantly concerned, prompting state and nodal authorities to offer total prohibition for fishermen and coastal workers. Fishermen are advised not to go out to sea till August 24 to avoid risky weather, with the IMD confirming a may bring hazardous seas.

This article was based on eight reporting segments from ANI (Asian News International), Business Standard, CNBC TV18, Daily Excelsior, The Economic Times, Livemint, Lokmat Times, NewsBytes, ThePrint, Times Now, and The Hindu — World.