Maharashtra is expected to receive heavy rainfall over the next five days, particularly in the next 72 hours. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for rain in 22 districts, local media reports said. Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar are expected to receive moderate rainfall on Monday, they said.
Residents of the Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri areas should brace for heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms. Winds may blow at high speeds, reportedly reaching 30–50 km/h. Several districts in the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions have also been warned to prepare for heavy rainfall.
"The IMD has informed us that the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is gradually intensifying and is likely to reach the South Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh coast on September 23 as a deep depression. We are making preparations accordingly," PTI quoted Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari as saying.
Due to the impact of El Niño, rainfall has decreased in several parts of the state, while heavy rain over short periods in some places has caused extensive damage to crops, TV9 Kannada said in a report on Monday.
However, heavy rainfall is now expected to lash the state due to the formation of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. The intensity of rainfall is expected to continue across the state for the next five days. Still, the forecast indicates that there will not be satisfactory rainfall in September.
“Under the influence of a low-pressure area over the east-central Bay of Bengal & adjoining north Andaman Sea & its further intensification, isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over north Coastal Andhra Pradesh during September 22–24; south Odisha during September 22–25; Chhattisgarh and Telangana during September 23–25; Vidarbha on September 24 & 25,” the IMD said in a statement released on Sunday.
"Isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Konkan & Goa during September 22–23; Madhya Maharashtra during September 21–23; fairly widespread to widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms & lightning is likely over Konkan & Goa during September 20–24," it further said. Central Maharashtra should brace for rain on September 22, Tuesday, it added.
According to the IMD, a deep depression is a more intense stage of a low-pressure system and can develop further into a cyclonic storm.
