Navy helicopters conduct rescue operations in Eluru
New Delhi/Eluru: Rainfall intensity is likely to reduce over Konkan and Goa, Gujarat Region, Central Maharashtra and Telangana from tomorrow and over Saurashtra and Kutch from July 17, 2022, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast.
The rainfall activity though is likely to increase over Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and the Northeastern States from July 18 for the subsequent 5 days.
The IMD warned that a low-pressure area lies over north Odisha and the neighbourhood with the associated cyclonic circulation extending up to upper tropospheric levels tilting southwestwards with height. Besides, another low-pressure area is likely to form over coastal Gujarat and the neighbourhood during the next 48 hours. It is likely to move nearly westwards and become more marked subsequently.
The monsoon trough, it said, is active and south of its normal position. It is likely to shift gradually northwards from July 17, 2022. Moreover, an east-west shear zone runs roughly along 19°N in lower and middle tropospheric levels across North Peninsular India. Under the influence of these systems, the IMD predicted
a) fairly widespread/widespread light/moderate rainfall and thunderstorm/lightning with isolated heavy rainfall over Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala and Mahe, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Telangana and Karnataka during the next 3-4 days and reduce thereafter.
b) Scattered to fairly widespread light/moderate rainfall with isolated thunderstorm/lightning very likely over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan & Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the next 5 days and over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan during next 3 days with reduction thereafter.
Rainfall status (Week and season)
Gujarat region’s extremely heavy rainfall spell was “this monsoon season’s most extremely heavy rainfall spell so far in the plains in this season till today”, causing caused severe floods and inundations over respective areas in the state, the IMD said. Heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places had occurred over Gujarat Region during almost all dates with exceptionally heavy rainfall over some districts of Gujarat during July 10-12, 2022, when some stations received 40-60cm rainfall in just one day.
July 10-11, 2022: Bodeli (Chhota Udepur district) 60, Quant (dist Chhota Udepur) 43, Jambughoda (dist Panchmahal) 43 cm,
Jetpur Pavi (dist Chhota Udepur) 40. 11-12 July: Dediapada (dist Narmada) 53, Tilakwada (dist Narmada) 51, Umerpada (dist Surat) 43, Sagbara (dist Narmada) 42, Kaprada (dist Valsad) 40, Jambughoda (dist Panchmahal) 39(all amounts are in cm).
Heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places had also occurred over Saurashtra and Kutch, Konkan and Goa, Telangana and Coastal Karnataka for three days each and over East AND West Madhya Pradesh, central Maharashtra, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh for 2-4 days during July 11-14. Karnataka also reported heavy to very heavy on almost all dates of the week, where floods and inundations, have been reported during the week.
However, rainfall during the week over Northeast India rainfall continues to remain less and it received deficient rainfall 2nd week consecutively and it was due to the continued absence of any winds and moisture support from the Bay of Bengal to that region. States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the Northern plains also received deficient rainfall due to monsoon trough south of the normal position and the absence of any system forming or moving over to the region.
Analysis of weekly overall rainfall distribution during the current week ending on July 13, 2022, and Monsoon Season’s Rainfall Scenario (01 June-July 13, 2022) shows rainfall status improved significantly, the IMD said. It shows for the country as a whole, the weekly cumulative all India rainfall departure till the week ending on July 13, 2022, from its long period average (LPA) was +50 %(this has become the rainiest week of this season), with over east and northeast India as -66% while all India Seasonal cumulative rainfall % departure during this year’s monsoon season rainfall during 01 June till July 13, 2022, is
+11% i.e. excess.
Meanwhile, the Indian Navy launched two medium-lift UH3H helicopters from INS Dega at Visakhapatnam today for providing humanitarian assistance to the water-locked areas of Koida (7 habitations and Katkur (9 habitations) in Velairpadu Mandal.
The helicopters were pressed into service in response to a request received from the Eluru District Administration for Rescue and Relief Operations due to massive flooding of the Godavari River.
The helicopters air-dropped relief material including essential food items, medicines, milk, bread, etc to the marooned villagers. So far over 2000 kg of relief material has been delivered by the helicopters operating from Rajahmundry airport. The relief operation would continue tomorrow.
– global bihari bureau
