The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert to five districts of the Saurashtra region in Gujarat as heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to hit some of the regions in the state today. The alerts apply to the districts of Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, Junagadh, and Porbandar, and moderate rainfall can also be anticipated in the districts of Vadodara, Surat, Navsari, and Valsad, located in South Gujarat.
The IMD forecast shows that there is a cyclonic circulation on the Arabian Sea and a southwest wind pattern with moisture, which has enhanced the prospects of rain activity in the coastal and southern part of Gujarat. The orange warning indicates that there may be heavy to very heavy rains (64.5 mm to 204.4 mm) at isolated places and may affect normal life.
In the affected districts, the weather department has advised the residents to be extra watchful and to avoid unnecessary travelling, particularly in areas where there is a risk of flooding. Caution has also been given against fishermen going to the sea, owing to the adverse weather along the Gujarat coast. The disaster management authorities have also been put on standby to respond to any kind of emergency situation that may occur due to waterlogging or flash floods.
The Gir Somnath and Amreli districts in the Saurashtra region can receive heavy downpours with thunderstorms and very strong winds. The authorities have been ordered not to block the drainage systems to avoid flooding in cities. In the meantime, Surat and Vadodara can experience moderate to heavy rains in the afternoon, which will be a welcome respite to the increasing humidity.
The agriculturalists have raised concern with the fact that there is a risk that the existing standing crops could be destroyed, like cotton, groundnut and pulses, when the rain falls intensively. To other farmers, however, particularly in the rain-fed regions, the spell would be useful in ensuring that soils have enough moisture and that they will delay sowing operations.
According to the meteorologists, this wet spell may last 48 hours, with the intensity steadily decreasing in the following hours. The IMD has additionally suggested that some of the regions along the coastal and southern Gujarat could experience isolated very heavy rainfall, prior to the weather becoming stable.
Due to the impending frequency of heavy rain in Gujarat, residents are encouraged to adhere to the guidelines and authorities and take care. The government is keenly following the changing weather conditions in order to reduce the inconvenience and to maintain the safety of the people.
