Five districts in Madhya Pradesh face a heavy rain warning Tuesday, even as the monsoon itself has stopped advancing across the state. Betul, Chhindwara, Pandhurna, Seoni and Balaghat could see up to four inches of rain in the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department’s Bhopal centre said.
A new weather system becomes active from July 2, bringing a fresh spell of heavy to very heavy rain.
The weather department issued a separate alert for 50 other districts, including Bhopal, Indore, Rajgarh, Vidisha and Jabalpur. Winds could reach 60 kmph in these areas.
Light rain is forecast for Gwalior, Bhind, Morena, Sheopur, Datia, Shivpuri, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Jhabua and Alirajpur.
Monsoon Reaches 15 Districts, Then Stops
The monsoon entered Madhya Pradesh on June 24 and reached 15 districts, including Indore, Dhar, Khandwa and Balaghat. It has not advanced since.
The stall has pushed up daytime and nighttime temperatures, especially in the Gwalior-Chambal, Sagar and Rewa regions. Khajuraho recorded the state’s highest temperature Monday at 41.2 degrees Celsius. Gwalior reached 40.3 degrees and Bhopal 34.2 degrees.
Rain did bring relief to some areas Monday. Indore, Guna, Balaghat, Shivpuri, Jabalpur, Khargone, Rajgarh, Chhindwara, Sidhi, Khandwa, Sehore and Dewas all received showers. Balaghat recorded the highest rainfall, at more than one and a half inches.
Rainfall Still Below Normal
Despite six straight days of rain in parts of the state, Madhya Pradesh remains short of its seasonal average. The state should have received 124.2 mm of rain since June 1 but has logged only 75.7 mm, a deficit of 39 percent.
Eastern Madhya Pradesh is 68 percent below normal rainfall. The west trails by 11 percent. Alirajpur has recorded the least rain in the state, just 2 mm.
Bhopal, Indore, Sehore, Shajapur, Burhanpur, Mandsaur and Neemuch are the only districts running above normal, with Bhopal logging more than six inches since June 1.
A tractor and its driver were swept away by floodwater while crossing a bridge in Sandhwa, one of several scenes of disruption captured as rains lashed roads in Shajapur and Mandsaur.
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