Delhi, Himachal, Bihar among states on IMD's heavy rain watch, what travellers need to know

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast an active spell of the southwest monsoon over large parts of the country over the coming week, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall across several northern, eastern and northeastern states.

The weather agency has also issued a flash flood outlook for parts of Uttarakhand, where persistent rainfall could trigger localized flooding and surface runoff in vulnerable areas.According to the IMD's latest All India Weather Summary and Forecast Bulletin issued on July 11, widespread rainfall activity is expected to continue until at least July 16 under the influence of multiple weather systems, including a persistent monsoon trough, an active western disturbance and several upper-air cyclonic circulations.

While the low-pressure area over northern parts of central Uttar Pradesh has weakened, its associated cyclonic circulation continues to influence weather over the Indo-Gangetic plains.Northwest India is expected to witness one of the most active phases of the monsoon during the forecast period. Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is likely over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while East Uttar Pradesh is expected to receive widespread rainfall through July 13.

Rainfall activity is also likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and both East and West Uttar Pradesh over the next several days.The IMD has forecast isolated heavy rainfall over Jammu and Kashmir on July 11 and 12, Himachal Pradesh from July 11 to 15, Uttarakhand from July 11 to 16, Punjab between July 11 and 13, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi from July 11 to 13, West Uttar Pradesh on July 11 and East Uttar Pradesh between July 12 and 14.

In addition, very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and East Uttar Pradesh on July 11.

Central India is also expected to witness increasing rainfall activity. Isolated to scattered rainfall is forecast over Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh, with rainfall becoming more widespread over East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh later in the forecast period.

Heavy rainfall is likely over East Madhya Pradesh during July 14–16 and Chhattisgarh between July 13 and 16.Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40–50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, are likely over East Madhya Pradesh through July 14. Similar thunderstorm activity is also expected over Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh, while parts of West Madhya Pradesh may experience gusty winds of up to 50 kmph.Eastern India is likely to remain under the influence of an active monsoon system as widespread rainfall continues over Gangetic West Bengal, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha. Heavy rainfall is forecast over Gangetic West Bengal through July 14, Bihar from July 12 to 14, Jharkhand during July 13 and 14, Odisha between July 13 and 16, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during July 13–16.The IMD has also warned of very heavy rainfall over Bihar on July 11 and over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on July 11 and 12, increasing the risk of flooding in vulnerable districts.The northeastern states are expected to remain among the wettest regions of the country throughout the forecast period. Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura through July 16.Heavy rainfall is forecast over Arunachal Pradesh throughout the period, while Assam and Meghalaya, along with Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, are expected to receive heavy rainfall from July 12 onwards. Very heavy rainfall is likely over Assam and Meghalaya, as well as Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, on July 11.Along the west coast, Konkan and Goa are likely to continue receiving widespread rainfall through July 16, while Gujarat, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada and Saurashtra and Kutch are expected to receive isolated to scattered showers.In southern India, Coastal Karnataka is expected to witness widespread rainfall during the forecast period. Kerala and Mahe are likely to receive widespread rainfall on July 11 before rainfall activity becomes more scattered over the following days. Isolated to scattered rainfall is also forecast over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, North and South Interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and parts of Rayalaseema.Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds are likely over Telangana, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema, while strong surface winds are expected across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.The IMD has also issued a low to moderate flash flood risk outlook for several districts of Uttarakhand, including Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Dehradun, Nainital, Pauri Garhwal, Pithoragarh, Tehri Garhwal and Uttarkashi.

Saturated soil conditions combined with additional rainfall could result in localized inundation, increased runoff and flash flooding in susceptible watersheds.For July 11, the weather department has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall over Assam and Meghalaya, Bihar, East Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim. Heavy rainfall is also expected over Arunachal Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttarakhand and West Uttar Pradesh.The IMD has advised residents to remain alert as heavy rainfall could lead to localized flooding, waterlogging in low-lying areas, traffic congestion, reduced visibility, landslides in hilly regions and damage to vulnerable structures and standing crops. People have been urged to monitor weather updates, avoid flood-prone areas where possible and follow advisories issued by local authorities, especially in regions under heavy rainfall warnings.