IMD Issues Orange Alert for Vidarbha, Pune Remains Rain-Free
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for the Vidarbha region, forecasting moderate to heavy rainfall activity on October 29. This alert is due to the influence of the severe cyclonic storm, ‘Montha’, which is currently over the Bay of Bengal.
According to the IMD’s latest weather bulletin, the cyclone has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm over west-central Bay of Bengal. It was located near latitude 14.9 degrees north and longitude 82.9 degrees east at 8:30 am on October 28. The storm is about 160 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam, 240 km south-southeast of Kakinada, and is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada by Monday evening or night. Wind speeds are expected to reach 90 to 100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph.
Under the influence of this cyclonic storm, districts in Vidarbha, including Yavatmal, Gondia, Gadchiroli, and Chandrapur, are expected to receive moderate to heavy rain on October 29. The alert will then be downgraded to yellow, indicating light to moderate rainfall, on the following days.
Meanwhile, Pune district, which had been under a yellow alert for over a week, is unlikely to witness any significant rainfall in the coming days. IMD officials have stated that no significant weather warnings have been issued for Pune from October 30 onwards.
In addition to cyclone Montha, other weather systems are currently active across the country. These include a deep depression over the Arabian Sea and a cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan. A trough extending from the Arabian Sea depression to northeast Rajasthan, along with a western disturbance running along longitude 75 degrees east, is also influencing regional weather conditions.
As per the IMD, Maharashtra may see widespread rainfall on October 29, with most districts except Sangli, Solapur, and Kolhapur placed under a yellow alert. However, rainfall activity is expected to subside after October 30, and no major alerts are anticipated thereafter.
