india

Updated: Jun 30, 2019 22:07 IST

Heavy rains lashed several parts of southern Gujarat on Sunday, with authorities keeping rescue teams on stand-by in Valsad and nearby regions due to the rise in river levels and water-logging, officials said.

The southern region of Gujarat has been witnessing a fierce revival of the monsoon with Valsad receiving 203 millimetres rainfall in 10 hours since Sunday morning, leaving several areas flooded, while nearby Vapi receiving 228 mm rainfall during the period.

According to the world weather online, the rainfall recorded in the two towns on Sunday was more than the amount received in the entire month of June this year and almost similar to the rainfall recorded over the entire month of July last year.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in a statement, said some areas of south Gujarat -- Navsari, Valsad, Narmada, Tapi and Surat among others – have received “extremely heavy” as well as “heavy to very heavy” rainfall in the last 24 hours.

Valsad collector CR Kharsan said heavy rainfall left several stretches of the national highway connecting Mumbai to Surat submerged, causing traffic snarls. Teams comprising personnel of the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and the fire brigade have been kept on stand-by in case the weather conditions worsen.

“Auranga and Par rivers flowing through the district swelled due to heavy rains though they were still below the danger mark,” Kharsan added.

The IMD warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated places in south Gujarat till Monday and advised fishermen to not venture into the sea for the next 24 hours.

“Due to active monsoon conditions, squally weather is very likely to prevail along and off south Gujarat coast during next 48 hours. The sea will be rough with waves from south-westerly to westerly direction for next 24 hours,” the IMD said.

The IMD also warned of heavy rainfall in other parts of central India, especially in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh over the next two to three days.

“Due to likely westward movement of a low-pressure system, widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places is very likely over Odisha, Chattisgarh, Telangana, Vidarbha, and East Madhya Pradesh during the next 2-3 days,” the IMD statement read.

“Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Gujarat region, East Rajasthan and West Madhya Pradesh are very likely to witness enhanced rainfall activity during 3-4 days,” it added.

While several parts of south Gujarat received rainfall due to active monsoon conditions, with Saturday’s “upper air cyclonic circulation” persisting in the region, the northern Kutch region has recorded very less rainfall with drought-like conditions, the IMD bulletin added.

Meanwhile, heat wave conditions continued to prevail in Delhi with minimum and maximum temperatures hovering around 32 degree Celsius and 42.2 degree Celsius, respectively.