Flash flood alert issued for 8 states, 2 UTs as heavy rain grips India

India’s weather department has issued flash flood alerts for eight states and two union territories as very heavy rainfall grips large parts of the country.

The alert covers Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Chhattisgarh is bracing for the heaviest rain, with isolated areas forecast to see over 204.5mm and districts like Gaurela, Pendra, Marwahi, Balrampur and Surguja under an extremely heavy rain warning.

In northern Odisha, districts such as Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Sambalpur face flash flood risk, alongside coastal winds of 40-50 kmph.

Alert windows differ by region, with Uttarakhand’s warning stretching furthest, through September 8, while several other states are under alert through September 2.

Northeast India could see 115.6mm to 204.4mm of rainfall in isolated pockets, while northern Odisha is forecast to receive widespread heavy rainfall through the alert period.

In northern Odisha, districts including Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Sambalpur have been flagged for flash flood risk, alongside strong winds of 40-50 kmph expected in coastal areas.

The IMD said the alert period varies by region, with some warnings running through September 2 and others extending as far as September 7 depending on local conditions.

Uttarakhand is separately forecast to see very heavy rainfall through September 8, one of the longer alert windows among the affected states.

Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are both under flash flood warnings, adding to the list of hill and northern regions bracing for the current spell.

IMD’s flash flood warnings are typically issued when very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected in a short window, raising the risk of sudden waterlogging, landslides and river-level surges.

Authorities in the affected districts have been advised to remain on alert, particularly in areas prone to landslides or where rivers and streams could rise rapidly during the heaviest spells.

NASA Earth Observatory, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 (representative monsoon rainfall image)