From high alert in Gujarat to Punjab, IMD warns of heavy rainfall across key Indian states; check complete forecast here

Delhi’s weekend weather swung between sticky humidity and brief drizzles, with the mercury peaking at 34.4°C on Sunday.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature dipped to 25.1°C: a touch below the seasonal norm.

While parts of the capital such as Ridge, Mayur Vihar, and Pitampura recorded light rain ranging from 1.5 mm to 16 mm, most monitoring stations, including Safdarjung and Palam, stayed dry.

Despite the heat and moisture in the air, the city’s air quality held steady in the ‘satisfactory’ range, with an AQI reading of 74. Looking ahead, the IMD has forecast thunderstorms and rainfall on Monday, with maximum temperatures likely to touch 35°C.

Gujarat: A monsoon of extremes

The 2025 monsoon in Gujarat has been marked by sharp contrasts. While some districts have drowned under torrential rains, others are parched. Now, with a depression forming over North Gujarat, the IMD has sounded fresh alerts.

Authorities have urged fishermen not to venture out between September 7 and 10 as the depression system churns up rough waves and strong winds along the state’s coast. Small boats, in particular, are at high risk of capsizing in turbulent waters.

Reservoirs across Gujarat are nearing capacity. The Sardar Sarovar Dam alone is 91.26% full, holding over 3,09,000 mcft of water. Of the state’s 206 dams, 123 are on high alert, 20 on alert, and 14 at warning levels. In all, dams are storing nearly 84% of their collective capacity — a boon for the dry summer months ahead, but a challenge for engineers tasked with preventing overflows.

Since June, more than 5,500 people have been shifted to safer locations, while over 1,000 have been rescued from flood-hit areas. Twelve NDRF teams and 22 SDRF teams are on the ground managing evacuations and distributing aid.

The rainfall story has been one of extremes:

• June delivered one-third of the seasonal quota in just 20 days, the wettest in a decade.
• By mid-July, the state had received 54% of its seasonal average, but distribution was lopsided.
• By August, Devbhoomi Dwarka recorded a surplus of 2,000 mm, while Amreli and Gir Somnath remained deficient.
• Entering September, Gujarat had already covered 90% of its monsoon target, with forecasts hinting at above-normal rainfall — 109% of the Long Period Average.

IMD confirmed that the depression over southwest Rajasthan drifted south-southwest at 15 kmph and is now centred near Deesa in North Gujarat, about 70 km northeast of Radhanpur and 270 km from Bhuj. The system is expected to push west-southwest in the next 48 hours, triggering more downpours over Gujarat, Saurashtra, Kutch, and parts of Rajasthan.

Punjab: Flood-hit villages reel under devastation

In stark contrast to Delhi’s patchy showers, Punjab is grappling with one of its worst flood spells in recent years.

Torrential downpours have swelled rivers and triggered flash floods across multiple districts, submerging entire villages. At least 46 people have lost their lives, while thousands remain displaced. Crops and food stocks in as many as 50 villages have been wiped out.

The Indian Army has stepped in with rescue teams, setting up relief camps and distributing supplies. “The relief efforts will have to continue until November given the scale of destruction,” warned Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla.

IMD alerts: What’s next across Indian states

While Punjab and Gujarat struggle with the aftermath of heavy rainfall, the IMD has warned of fresh spells across several regions this week. Key alerts include:

• East Madhya Pradesh: Isolated heavy showers between September 10–11
• Odisha: Rainfall predicted on September 9–10
• Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim: Continued wet conditions
• Bihar: Heavy rainfall expected September 8–10
• Chhattisgarh, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam: Downpours forecast from September 10–12
• Tamil Nadu: Showers likely until September 10
• Kerala: Rain expected on September 9–10