Rain and Gusty Winds Hit Raipur; Yellow Alert Issued for 20 Districts as Southwest Monsoon Advances

Raipur
Raipur: After a hot and humid Tuesday morning, Raipur experienced a dramatic weather shift by evening, with strong winds and widespread rainfall reported across several parts of the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for 20 districts, forecasting thunderstorm activity and rainfall over the next four days, driven by the advancing southwest monsoon.

Heavy Rain Expected in Bastar

The IMD has predicted heavy rainfall across all districts of the Bastar division, accompanied by strong winds. This weather change is expected to be followed by a temperature rise of up to 4 degrees Celsius as skies clear. The southwest monsoon is also projected to advance into the Bay of Bengal within the next two to three days, influencing the weather in multiple Chhattisgarh districts.

Impact of Western Disturbance

In recent days, a western disturbance caused overcast skies and light rain in many parts of the state, leading to a drop in daytime temperatures by up to 5 degrees Celsius.
The southwest monsoon is a seasonal wind pattern that brings significant rainfall across India between June and September, playing a crucial role in agriculture and rural livelihoods.

District-Wise Rainfall Forecast:

• Rain Likely: Bijapur, Sukma, Mohla-Manpur, Rajnandgaon, Kabirdham, Khairagarh (6 districts)
• Scattered Rain: Kanker, Dantewada, Kondagaon, Balrampur, Bastar (5 districts)
• Isolated Rainfall: Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Korea, Surajpur, Sarguja, Jashpur, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi, Mungeli (7 districts)

Lightning Claims Two Lives in Kabirdham

On Monday, Raipur recorded the state’s highest temperature at 40.6 degrees Celsius, while Pendra Road registered the lowest at 23.6 degrees Celsius.

In a tragic incident in Singarpur village, under Pandariya police limits, a farmer and his wife died after being struck by lightning. The couple had gone to their field to cover their onion crop with a tarpaulin to protect it from rain.

Rain and thunderstorms in May are not unusual for Chhattisgarh. Historically, May often sees brief but intense spells of rain and squalls due to pre-monsoon systems. These weather events can result in significant rainfall totals by the month’s end. For instance, Raipur recorded its highest May rainfall in a decade in 2021, with 93.2 mm rainfall that month, with 57 mm occurring within 24 hours on 10 May 2021.
After 25 May, the influx of moist air from the sea is expected to become more frequent, increasing the likelihood of thunderstorms and indicating the onset of monsoon-driven weather patterns.