Gujarat: Heavy rainfall brings chaos to Banaskantha, IMD issues red alert for several district

Banaskantha (Gujarat) [India], July 4 (ANI): Banaskantha district in Gujarat is facing severe flooding due to heavy rainfall, with Tharad being one of the worst-affected areas.
Vehicles are struggling to cross waterlogged roads, causing disruptions to daily life. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for the district, forecasting "very heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning, and squalls."
IMD also issued red alert for several areas, including Ahmedabad, Surendranagar, Morbi, Jamnagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Porbandar, Rajkot, Sabarkantha, and Banaskantha districts.
These areas are expected to experience moderate to gusty winds below 40 km/h, heavy rainfall exceeding 15 mm per hour, and lightning. Authorities have urged residents to stay indoors and avoid stepping out unless necessary.
Additionally, yellow alerts have been issued, predicting extreme heavy rainfall for the next seven days.
On the social media platform X, the official IMD handle posted a status update regarding the heavy rainfall of the past 24 hours. The X post read, "Observed Very Heavy Rainfall (in cm) over Gujarat during past 24 hours till 0830 HRS IST of 04.07.2025," on Thursday.
Gujarat, Saurashtra, and Kutch will also face heavy to very heavy rainfall over the week. Low-lying areas in Saurashtra are at moderate risk of flash floods, while transportation disruptions are expected in urban coastal regions.
The western coastal belt, including Konkan, Goa, and the Ghat regions of Maharashtra, is under alert due to the strong offshore trough and significant moisture feed from the Arabian Sea. Extremely heavy rainfall (>=21 cm) is forecasted on July 4 and again between July 6 and 7, especially over South Konkan, Goa, and Madhya Maharashtra.
IMD has furher issued warning to fishermen and advised to avoid venturing into the Arabian Sea from July 4-9.
Along with Gujarat, several other parts of India are also in a similar situation. The Badrinath National Highway, located in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, is blocked due to debris falling from the hillside near Nandprayag and Bhanerpani. The state is experiencing heavy rainfall, triggering debris to fall from the hill and disrupting life.
The neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh is also facing severe conditions owing to heavy rainfall and cloudburst.
"Everything got washed away after a cloudburst. We are staying at our relatives' house," said a local house that has been damaged following a cloudburst.
For Delhi, the IMD has predicted overcast skies and rain for the next couple of days, with the monsoon potentially reaching the region within the next few days. (ANI)