Maharashtra Monsoon Mayhem: IMD Issues Red, Orange Alerts; Schools Shut In Palghar Amid Heavy Rain Threat

The IMD has issued red and orange alerts across Maharashtra for July 26, forecasting extremely heavy rains and potential flooding.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has given a series of red and orange alerts for severe weather in Maharashtra, covering many districts, as the state continues to receive intense monsoon showers. Authorities are in high alert mode, taking rapid precautionary measures to mitigate risks, with schools being closed in the Palghar district.

IMD has predicted extremely heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours in six Maharashtra districts for which red alerts have been issued. Those are Raigad, Ratnagiri, Gondia, Chandrapur, Bhandara, and Gadchiroli where there would be huge possibilities of all-round flooding. The people in these areas are asked to be indoor, halt non-essential travel, and vigilantly follow updates from local authorities.

Due to the red alert warning, Palghar District Collector Dr. Indu Rani Jakhar announced a holiday for all colleges, schools, and Anganwadi centers on Friday, July 26. The district had already received heavy rains and is likely to get very heavy rain through the day.

IMD scientist Sushma Nair went on to detail that a red alert has been sounded for the neighboring Ghat region of Pune, while orange alerts have been sounded for Nashik and Satara districts' Ghat regions. Outside these, areas like Konkan, Marathwada, Vidarbha, and Western Maharashtra are also under orange and yellow alerts, indicating heavy rainfall.

There have been concerns about the possibility of downstream flooding following higher water discharge from a number of dams. Local authorities are carefully keeping an eye on river levels and have requested that residents in flood-prone areas prepare for possible emergency evacuations. The IMD has also warned fishermen and tourists strongly to be extremely cautious, especially along coastal regions and rivers.

Mumbai, the capital city, witnessed heavy showers on Friday morning, which resulted in slowed traffic and impacted some of the suburban train services along the Western Railway line. The officials expect showers during the later part of the day as well. As per the Monsoon Report of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), island city, eastern suburbs, and western suburbs received average rainfall of 29.40 mm, 29.44 mm, and 18.88 mm respectively.