Heavy rain forecast in Gujarat, fishermen advised not to venture into sea till August 28

Ahmedabad, Aug 26 (IANS) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted heavy rain in Bhavnagar, Dahod, and Chhota Udepur districts in Gujarat, and issued a warning to fishermen, advising them not to venture into the sea until August 28.

The authorities have directed those already at sea to return and secure their boats at the nearest port with mandatory return entries.

Rainfall was reported in 152 talukas of Gujarat, though the showers have yet to bring substantial relief. The IMD has further predicted that heavy rain will continue across Gujarat for the next six days. Districts, including Banaskantha, Patan, Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Morbi, Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, and Ahmedabad, are likely to receive heavy downpours.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for Bhavnagar, Chhota Udepur, and Dahod; a yellow alert for Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Vadodara, Narmada, Ahmedabad, Tapi, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Amreli, and Gir Somnath.

For August 27-28, a yellow alert has been issued in 13 districts of Saurashtra and South Gujarat, including Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Surat, Tapi, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Narmada, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Panchmahal, and Dahod.

A yellow alert has also been issued for August 29 for Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Surat, Tapi, Navsari, Dang, and Valsad.

Heavy rain is likely in Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Dahod, and Bhavnagar on August 30-31.

The administration has warned that fishermen will have to remain cautious and avoid the sea until further notice, as rough weather conditions are expected to persist.

Gujarat has so far received about 84-85 per cent of its average seasonal monsoon rainfall, with regional variations showing North Gujarat at the top with around 87 per cent, followed by South Gujarat at 86 per cent, Kutch at 85 per cent, and Saurashtra slightly lower at 83-84 per cent.

According to state data, the month of August alone contributed nearly 21 per cent of the seasonal share, with 15 per cent falling in just the last week, leading to significant inflows in major reservoirs, including the Sardar Sarovar Dam, which is now at 84-87 per cent of its live storage capacity.

While the overall state figure indicates near-normal rainfall, heavy spells in recent weeks have triggered alerts in districts such as Bhavnagar, Dahod, Banaskantha, and Chhota Udepur, and the Meteorological Department has predicted more rain until the end of August, keeping the season on track to possibly touch or surpass the long-period average by September.

--IANS

janvi/dpb