New Delhi, September 23 (TNA) The southwest monsoon has begun withdrawing from parts of the country, but rain is expected to continue in several states over the coming days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rainfall in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and many other regions on Wednesday.
The IMD said conditions are favourable for the monsoon to withdraw from more parts of northwest India, including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and west Uttar Pradesh during the next two days.
Despite the withdrawal, isolated rain is likely in parts of Uttar Pradesh. Bihar may receive heavy rainfall at isolated places, while Jharkhand is also expected to experience heavy showers.
The weather office has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated extremely heavy showers, over parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana on September 23. Heavy rain is also likely in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, interior Karnataka, Kerala, Konkan and Goa, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Sikkim.
The rainfall is linked in part to a weather system over the Bay of Bengal that is intensifying near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast. The system is expected to bring widespread rain, thunderstorms and strong winds to several parts of central and eastern India.
The IMD has advised residents in affected areas to remain alert, particularly in regions likely to receive heavy rain, thunderstorms or lightning. Bihar is expected to see more widespread rainfall on September 24 and 25, while east Uttar Pradesh is under a heavy-rainfall watch from September 24 to 26.