Heavy showers may dampen Diwali festivities across India, says IMD
Weather officials said the retreating monsoon triggered the heavy rain that lashed Mumbai’s western suburbs on Sunday.
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Rain may hamper Diwali celebrations this year, with the India Meteorological Department predicting heavy showers in several parts of the country over the next few days. The agency has attributed the predicted rainfall to a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal developing into a depression.
Mumbai
Heavy rains lashed the western suburbs of Mumbai on Sunday, PTI reported. The India Meteorological Department said the rain was caused due to the retreating monsoon. The department has predicted more showers over the next two to three days due to a depression developing in the Bay of Bengal.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
The department has also predicted heavy rain in Hyderabad and surrounding districts over the next few days due to the Bay of Bengal depression, The Times of India reported on Monday. “An upper air cyclonic circulation observed over southwest Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a depression during the next 48 hours, which may cause rain in Hyderabad and districts,” Hyderabad IMD Director in-charge YK Reddy said.
Unidentified meteorological department officials said that the depression would first impact coastal districts in north Andhra Pradesh on October 19, and then spread to other parts of the state and to Telangana.
West Bengal
The depression will cause heavy rain in Kolkata and surrounding districts on October 19, the India Meteorological Department said according to The Telegraph. This could dampen the Kali Puja festivities.
Kolkata may experience heavy rainfall on October 17, and showers may cover several districts in West Bengal by October 18.
Odisha
Odisha may receive heavy rain on October 18 and 19. “The low pressure after intensifying into a deep depression may further take shape of a cyclone,” said Bhubhaneshwar IMD director Sarat Chandra Sahu, The Times of India reported.