Rivers rose, roads vanished and a young man drowned in a flooded stream Wednesday as monsoon rain hit more than 20 districts across Madhya Pradesh. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Bhind district on Thursday, warning of extremely heavy rainfall.
Nine other districts — including Gwalior, Morena and Ratlam — are under an orange alert. The IMD expects rain across nearly the entire state through the weekend.
In Khargone district, the swollen Ruparel river swept away a young man in Jhirnya. In Rajgarh, the Kalisingh river spilled over a small bridge at Sarangpur. An underbridge in Ratlam flooded entirely.
In Shajapur, teachers waded across a rising drain to reach their school. Twenty minutes of rain flooded streets in Narmadapuram, though it broke the day’s humidity.
State Now 10% Above Its Rain Quota
Madhya Pradesh has received 223.7 mm of rain this monsoon — about 9 inches, and 10% more than normal, according to IMD data. The gap is uneven: the west has logged 30% surplus rainfall, while the east still trails 10% below average.
Dewas leads the state, at 138% above its quota with 18 inches recorded so far. Indore and Sehore have each received 14 inches, Harda 15 inches, Bhopal nearly 13. Alirajpur, at the other extreme, has seen just 2 inches.
Damoh recorded the day’s heaviest rainfall, 2 inches, followed by 1.1 inches in Narmadapuram. Rain also fell in Gwalior, Khandwa, Ujjain, Sheopur and a dozen other districts.
Why July Matters Most
June brought a rainfall deficit statewide. July typically delivers close to 40% of the season’s total, and this year’s early numbers suggest the state is catching up fast. Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior each normally collect 38 to 39 inches of rain by the end of the monsoon.
The IMD has forecast active rainfall across the state for four more days, driven by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal.
Temperatures Fall With the Rain
The rain cooled the state’s five major cities. Indore posted the lowest daytime high, 28°C, followed by Jabalpur at 28.5°C and Bhopal at 30.4°C. Chhindwara recorded the state’s coolest reading overall, 25.4°C.
For now, the water keeps rising — and the forecast offers no break.
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