Ahmedabad: A fresh low-pressure system developing over the Bay of Bengal is expected to bring widespread rain to Gujarat this week, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing multiple yellow and orange alerts for heavy to very heavy rainfall. The downpours are forecast to be particularly intense in Narmada and Tapi districts on Sept 4 and 5. On Tuesday, South Gujarat recorded rain at many places, while North Gujarat and Saurashtra received isolated showers. Kutch remained dry. Heavy to very heavy rain has been predicted in Chhota Udepur, Bharuch, Surat, Dang, Navsari, Valsad and the Union Territories of Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Downpours are also forecast in rain-battered Saurashtra where districts of Amreli, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Junagadh, Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Botad, Surendranagar, Jamnagar, Morbi, Kutch — and Diu Sept 9. The weather department also placed Narmada under an orange alert for Sept 3, with yellow warnings for Dahod, Chhota Udepur, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi and the Union Territories. Rainfall intensity is expected to peak on Sept 4, when Narmada, Tapi, Chhota Udepur and Dang may receive very heavy rain at isolated places, with extremely heavy falls in some pockets. Meanwhile, the monsoon trough currently runs from Ganganagar to the northeast Bay of Bengal, where an upper-air cyclonic circulation persists. A low-pressure area is likely to become more marked by Wednesday, enhancing rainfall activity across Gujarat, the bulletin stated.The low-pressure system is pulling in heavy moisture, which will dump heavy rain into Gujarat over the next couple of days as it moves west-northwest.
