IMD issues heavy rain alert for 18 states, winds may reach 95 km/h

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a heavy rain warning for 18 states. According to the department, winds may blow at up to 95 km/h under the influence of a cyclonic storm.

High waves are likely to rise at sea and conditions may worsen. Fishermen have therefore been advised not to venture into the sea. Fishing has been banned until Thursday, and fishermen already at sea have been told to return. A landslide risk has also been flagged in hilly areas.

The states under a rain warning include Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland and Mizoram.

In the capital, Delhi, thunderstorms with thunder and rain are likely. Wind speeds here may reach 30 to 40 km/h.

The forecast for Rajasthan is comparatively mild. Light rain is expected in Jodhpur, Kota, Bikaner, Ajmer, Udaipur, Bhilwara, Alwar, Bharatpur and Sikar.

In Jharkhand, a heavy rain warning has been issued for the districts of Khunti, Simdega, Gumla, Lohardaga, Bokaro and Seraikela-Kharsawan, along with East and West Singhbhum.

For West Bengal, the regional weather centre in Kolkata has issued a warning. Under it, heavy rain may fall in the districts of South 24 Parganas, East and West Medinipur, North Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Jhargram, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri.