Heavy rain alert during weekend as monsoon likely to pick up over north India: IMD.

There is a 19% rain deficiency over the country with 57% rain deficiency over northwest India and 23% deficiency over central India. Rainfall activity is likely to increase over northwest India with heavy to very heavy rainfall expected during June 28 to 30, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday. “The northern limit of monsoon continues to pass through Mundra, Mehsana, Udaipur, Shivpuri, Siddhi, Lalitpur, Chaibasa, Haldia, Pakur, Sahibganj and Raxaul. Conditions are likely to become favourable for further advance of Monsoon into remaining parts of North Arabian Sea, Gujarat State, Madhya Pradesh; some more parts of Rajasthan; remaining parts of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar; most parts of East Uttar Pradesh; some more parts of West Uttar Pradesh; some parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, northern parts of Punjab and northern parts of Haryana during next 3-4 days”, IMD has said. Monsoons are presently delayed by about a week compared to its normal trajectory. It slowed down for around 9 days after June 11. There is a 19% rain deficiency over the country with 57% rain deficiency over northwest India; 23% deficiency over central India; 16% over east and northeast India and 9% excess over peninsular India. “After its revival, monsoon will progress further & cover whole country by July 5. Active monsoon phase expected next 2-3 weeks with heavy rains along west coast and north India. High probability of extreme rains & flooding in north India,” M Rajeevan, former secretary, ministry of earth sciences wrote on X. IMD has issued an orange alert for isolated very heavy rainfall over Uttarakhand during June 28 to 30; East Uttar Pradesh during June 28 to 29; over Haryana and West Uttar Pradesh on June 29 to 30. Reported on June 22 that monsoon is expected to pick up over northwest India and cover most parts of the region between June 27 and July 3, according to the IMD’s extended range forecast.