Flood alerts: India Met Department urges public to stay updated on heavy rain forecast, despite no flash-flood risk

No flash-flood threat is expected in the immediate term, and no risk has been identified for the following 24 hours, although forecasts indicate that some areas could receive very heavy rainfall.

India's Ministry of Earth Sciences Meteorological Department said its national bulletin, issued at 6.35am IST on 7 September, found no areas of concern and no flash-flood threat during the previous six hours.

Rainfall of up to 31mm was recorded across some watersheds in the six hours to 5:30am IST (8:00am SGT), while totals reached as much as 60mm over the previous 24 hours. The affected areas included parts of Uttarakhand, western and eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal.

The bulletin noted that several watersheds in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh were nearly saturated, with soil moisture levels estimated at between 85% and 95%. Elsewhere, soil saturation was estimated at up to 45%.

Forecast models nevertheless point to the possibility of very heavy rain, with up to 130mm expected in places over the next 24 hours. Despite that forecast, the agency said no persistent flash-flood threat was likely until 11:30am IST and no flash-flood risk was expected through to 5:30am on 8 September.

A further bulletin is due after the next assessment at 11:30am IST on Tuesday (8 September).

The alert above falls against the backdrop recent floods in North India. According to ⁠India Today, heavy rainfall has caused rivers and reservoirs in the region to swell, resulting in villages being submerged.

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