Heavy rain triggers red alerts across south Gujarat, Saurashtra

Ahmedabad: The real fury of the southwest monsoon is unleashing across south Gujarat, with skies opening up to batter the coastal and southern belts. On Monday alone, 125 talukas across the state were drenched, led by a massive 154mm downpour in Surat’s Kamrej.

Surat city followed closely with 122 mm, while Valsad’s Vapi logged 111 mm, as a relentless rain system trapped intense moisture over the region.India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Tuesday, warning of “extremely heavy rainfall” across Surat, Tapi, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, and Bhavnagar in Saurashtra. Heavy to very heavy rain is also expected to slam Narmada, Bharuch, and Amreli.Despite this regional pounding, the overall southwest monsoon boundary has hit a temporary wall, parking its limit over Jamnagar and leaving parts of Kutch and north Gujarat waiting for full coverage.

So far, the state has locked in 17% of its total seasonal rain quota. Relief is on the horizon, however, as overall rain intensity across the state is projected to dial back starting Wednesday.Further north, Ahmedabad remained in a quiet monsoon lull. The city woke up to a grey, heavy sky on Monday, but the actual downpour remained a gentle tease, recording a meagre 6 mm of average rainfall by late evening. A brief Sunday night shower kept temperatures near normal at 35.2°C, but left citizens navigating a sticky, humid day with relative humidity hovering above 60%. According to the IMD, Ahmedabad will likely mimic this moody pattern on Tuesday with a persistent blanket of clouds and a couple of passing spells.

By Friday, the city’s chances of seeing a heavy downpour will grow slim.