NASA Earth Observatory, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 (representative monsoon rainfall image)
The India Meteorological Department’s latest flash flood warning covers eight states and two union territories amid an intense spell of monsoon rain.
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are all under alert, along with Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Chhattisgarh faces the sharpest risk, with isolated pockets expected to record more than 204.5mm of rain and districts including Gaurela, Pendra, Marwahi, Balrampur and Surguja facing extremely heavy rainfall.
Northern Odisha’s Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Sambalpur districts are flagged for flash flood risk, with 40-50 kmph winds also expected along the coast.
The alert period runs through September 2 for several states, while Uttarakhand’s warning extends the longest, through September 8.
In northern Odisha, districts including Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Sambalpur have been flagged for flash flood risk, alongside strong winds of 40-50 kmph expected in coastal areas.
The IMD said the alert period varies by region, with some warnings running through September 2 and others extending as far as September 7 depending on local conditions.
Uttarakhand is separately forecast to see very heavy rainfall through September 8, one of the longer alert windows among the affected states.
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are both under flash flood warnings, adding to the list of hill and northern regions bracing for the current spell.
IMD’s flash flood warnings are typically issued when very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected in a short window, raising the risk of sudden waterlogging, landslides and river-level surges.
Authorities in the affected districts have been advised to remain on alert, particularly in areas prone to landslides or where rivers and streams could rise rapidly during the heaviest spells.
The current alert spans a wide geographic band from the Himalayan foothills in the north to Chhattisgarh and Odisha in central and eastern India, reflecting an active monsoon system moving across the country.
NASA Earth Observatory, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 (representative monsoon rainfall image)
