Weather Office Issues 'Red Alert' For Goa, 'Orange Alert' For Mumbai. See Full Forecast

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a "red alert" for several coastal districts of Maharashtra and Goa, warning of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall from Friday through the weekend. According to the weather office, a red alert, forecasting the likelihood of extremely heavy rainfall, has been issued for Goa, Raigad and Ratnagiri on May 23. An orange alert is in place for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Sindhudurg, as well as ghats of Pune and Satara during this period for heavy to hefty rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds, per PTI.

The IMD issued an orange alert for Mumbai for May 23 and 24, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching speeds of 50 to 60 kilometres per hour at isolated places.

According to the weather office, the cause of this pre-monsoon rain is the formation of a low-pressure system over the east-central Arabian Sea off the coast of south Konkan and Goa. It is likely to intensify and bring intense showers across Konkan and other parts of Maharashtra, the IMD said. 

On Thursday, Shubhangi Bhute, a Regional Meteorological Centre official, said the low-pressure area will further intensify within 36 hours and move northwards. "Therefore, the entire Konkan coast has been placed under orange alert, while a red alert has been sounded for Raigad and Ratnagiri districts. During this period, wind speeds will range between 30-40 kmph and may reach up to 60 kmph at some isolated locations," Ms Bhute said.

Some places are likely to witness heavy to extremely heavy rain with thunderstorms, she added, warning fishermen against venturing into the sea along the coasts of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

"Sea condition is likely to be rough till the night of May 23... and will likely become rough to very rough from May 24 to 27," the IMD bulletin said, adding that the "conditions are likely to become favourable for Monsoon onset over Kerala during the next 2-3 days." 

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Fishermen currently at sea have been advised to return to the shore by the afternoon of May 23, while fishing operations in the Eastcentral and adjoining Northeast Arabian Sea will remain suspended from May 25 to 27, per the weather office. 

Meanwhile, an isolated hailstorm has been predicted over Himachal Pradesh and isolated heavy rainfall over Uttarakhand on 23rd and 24th May. Duststorm, reaching the speed of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour, is also likely over West Rajasthan during 23rd to 25th May. 

Heatwave wanings

According to IMD, heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are expected in isolated pockets of West Rajasthan during 22nd to 24th May. Heat wave conditions are also very likely in isolated pockets of Jammu, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and north Madhya Pradesh on May 23.  

East Rajasthan and West Rajasthan are likely to experience a heat wave in the coming days. "Warm night conditions very likely in a few pockets of south Haryana, Punjab on 22nd & 23rd and West Rajasthan during 22nd-24th May," the weather office said.