India faces flood risk in the east and unusual heat in the west
A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal is bringing heavy rain and strong winds to several eastern and central Indian states, while western India, including Rajasthan, continues to see unusually high temperatures.
India's Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of sharply contrasting weather across the country — while eastern and central states brace for heavy rain and stormy winds, western regions, including Rajasthan, remain unusually hot.
Deep depression crosses the coast
The main driver is a deep depression over the west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal, which on the night of September 23 was located near the Andhra Pradesh coast, close to Kalingapatnam, Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur. The system is crossing the coast between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur and moving further inland, expected to retain deep-depression intensity for about 12 hours before gradually weakening as it tracks north-northwestwards.
Red alert for four states
Chhattisgarh, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana are under orange to red alerts, with some locations potentially receiving more than 204.5 millimetres of rain. The downpour could cause waterlogging in low-lying areas and disrupt transport. Bihar, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, West Bengal and Sikkim are under an orange alert, with 115.6 to 204.4 millimetres of rain possible. A yellow alert covers the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Meghalaya, eastern Madhya Pradesh, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and the Marathwada region of Maharashtra.
Strong winds and rough seas
Thunderstorms and gusty winds of 50–60 km/h are expected in Chhattisgarh, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana. Over the Bay of Bengal, winds may reach 55–65 km/h, occasionally gusting to around 75 km/h, prompting authorities to advise fishermen against venturing out to sea.
Early monsoon withdrawal from Delhi
The southwest monsoon has fully withdrawn from the Delhi-NCR region, ahead of its usual September 25 date. According to Down To Earth, this is the earliest withdrawal from Delhi since 2002. Clearer skies are expected, with maximum temperatures forecast to rise to around 36 degrees Celsius.
Heat persists in Rajasthan
In contrast, western Rajasthan is more than 5 degrees above normal temperatures. Jaisalmer recorded 42.9 degrees Celsius on September 23 — the highest maximum temperature among India's plains — while Mandi in Himachal Pradesh recorded the lowest minimum, at 17.1 degrees. The IMD has urged farmers to ensure proper drainage and protect harvested crops, and advised the public to stay indoors and away from open spaces, trees and power lines during thunderstorms.
