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New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a flash flood warning for south and central India, including Saurashtra, Kutch, Konkan, Goa, Karnataka, Vidarbha and Uttarakhand, following heavy rainfall due to a low pressure area over south Chhattisgarh and adjoining Vidarbha.
India is receiving heavy rainfall this monsoon season as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has returned to a neutral phase, and a cool La Niña phase is expected to develop in the latter half of the monsoon season (August-September).
La Nina, which occurs every 3-5 years, results in cooling sea surfaces, leading to increased rainfall and changes in weather patterns, which can cause flooding.
“Moderate to mild flooding is very likely over some catchment areas and neighbourhood of North Goa, South Goa, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts during the next six hours,” the IMD said.
Moderate flooding is likely over some catchments and neighbourhood of Konkan & Goa, Coastal Karnataka, adjoining parts of South Interior Karnataka and moderate to light flooding over some catchments of Uttarakhand & Gujarat region, adjoining areas of Saurashtra and Kutch during next 24 hours.
“Rainfall expected over the next 24 hours may cause some completely saturated soils and surface runoff or inundation in low-lying areas,” it said.
Moderate to light flooding was observed in some areas of North and South Goa, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts in the last six hours.
This incident happened after the Meteorological Department issued a red alert for these areas.
Extreme rainfall
The southern peninsula received 28% more rain in the last 24 hours, while central India received normal rainfall. These regions have received 17% more and 3% less rain, respectively, since the beginning of the four-month monsoon season.
Since June 1, India has received 305.8 mm of rainfall, which is 3% less than the average and 11% less rainfall in June.
The southwest monsoon arrived ahead of schedule over the Kerala coast and over northeast India, but its pace slowed down. It arrived on time over northwest India on June 29, resulting in Delhi receiving its highest single-day rainfall in June in 88 years. Similar conditions were witnessed in Mumbai.
Following this, the IMD forecast above normal rainfall in July, with heavy rainfall likely to cause flooding in river basins of western Himalayan states and central India.
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