Heavy monsoon rain is currently active over nearly half of Madhya Pradesh, while moderate to light rain continues across roughly the other half of the state. According to the Meteorological Centre in Bhopal, a spell of rain triggered by a low-pressure area and a trough formed in the Bay of Bengal will continue for the next four days.
During this period, heavy rain is likely in most districts of the Jabalpur, Rewa, Shahdol, Sagar, Bhopal, Narmadapuram, Ujjain and Gwalior-Chambal divisions. The Meteorological Department said the rain spell, which began in the eastern part of the state, will move towards the western districts in the coming days.
The state has recorded an average of 27.7 inches of rainfall so far, around 74 per cent of the normal seasonal rainfall. About 12 inches of rain fell in August alone. September is expected to bring around 9.6 inches of rain, after which the state's rainfall could cross the normal seasonal figure of 37.3 inches. The department has issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rain in several districts over the next four days.
The Meteorological Department issued an orange alert for very heavy rain in Umaria and Balaghat districts on Tuesday. A heavy rain alert has also been issued for Panna, Satna, Rewa, Mauganj, Sidhi, Singrauli, Katni, Maihar, Shahdol, Anuppur, Dindori, Jabalpur, Mandla, Seoni and Chhindwara. Meanwhile, Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain and Gwalior, among other places in the state, are likely to see heavy rain in some areas and light to moderate rain elsewhere.
According to weather experts, the eastern part of the state will see heavy rain on 1 and 2 September, after which the system will move westward. Heavy rain is likely in the Bhopal and Gwalior divisions on 3 September, while districts in the Ujjain, Bhopal, Narmadapuram, Gwalior and Chambal divisions could see heavy rain on 4 September.
According to data from the Meteorological Department, the state has recorded 702.9 mm (27.7 inches) of rainfall so far, around 3.1 inches short of the normal figure of 782.6 mm (30.8 inches) for this point in the season. Overall, rainfall in the state is around 10 per cent below normal. The eastern part of the state has recorded about 5 per cent below-normal rainfall, while the western part is around 15 per cent below normal. In 39 districts of the state, rainfall has been recorded 2 to 57 per cent below normal.