A depression over Jharkhand and nearby Gangetic West Bengal is forecast to boost monsoon rainfall in eastern and central India during the next two days. Isolated very heavy rain is likely in Odisha, Jharkhand, eastern Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, according to the India Meteorological Department. The Western Himalayan region may experience heavy to very heavy rainfall for most of the week. Cumulative southwest monsoon rainfall from 1 June to 12 August stood 12 percent below normal, with the largest shortfall in East and Northeast India. The country recorded 486.2 mm against a normal 552.6 mm. East and Northeast India showed a 26 percent deficit, South Peninsular India 19 percent and Northwest India 11 percent. Central India rainfall was near normal. Isolated very heavy rain is expected in Odisha and Jharkhand on Friday, then in eastern Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on 15 August. Heavy to very heavy rain is also forecast over the Western Himalayas on most days this week, with isolated heavy falls likely in the northwest plains. Fairly widespread to widespread monsoon activity is predicted across Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad and Uttarakhand from 15-20 August. Similar conditions are likely in Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Punjab on 15 August, West Uttar Pradesh on 15-16 August and East Uttar Pradesh from 16-20 August. In central India, widespread rain is expected in western Madhya Pradesh on 15-16 August, Chhattisgarh and eastern Madhya Pradesh from 15-20 August, and Vidarbha from 15-18 August. The systems may raise the chance of waterlogging and flash floods in already saturated hilly and low-lying areas. The IMD has issued a low to moderate flash-flood warning for several watersheds in northern, central and eastern India over the next 24 hours, covering districts in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, eastern Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand. Surface runoff and inundation remain possible in fully saturated soils and low-lying zones.
