Intense rainfall activity likely over central and east India over next 5 days: IMD

Parts of central and east India are likely to receive heavy rainfall over the next five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on August 19.

According to the National Weather Forecasting Centre and Regional Meteorological Centre of the IMD, a well-marked low pressure area lies over north coastal Odisha. A low pressure area is the first stage of any cyclone.

It is very likely to move westwards and concentrate into a depression during the next 24 hours, the IMD said.

It said under the influence of these systems, widespread rainfall with “isolated heavy to very heavy falls” are very likely along with “isolated extremely heavy falls” over Odisha on August 19.

Heavy rainfall is also expected over Chhattisgarh on August 19 and 20, east Madhya Pradesh on August 20, west Madhya Pradesh on August 21 and 22, east Rajasthan on August 22 and Gujarat on August 22 and 23.

Detailing the likely impact of the heavy rains over Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, there are chances of localised flooding of roads, water logging in low lying areas and closure of underpasses mainly in urban areas. It may lead to riverine flooding in some river catchments, it added.