NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for certain regions of Jharkhand for Friday, cautioning that heavy rainfall is expected in several parts of the eastern state.
According to the IMD's regional forecast, districts including Ranchi, Gumla, Simdega, Lohardaga, Khunti, and Pakur are among those likely to receive significant rainfall on Friday. The yellow alert, which is the lowest level in India's three-tier colour-coded warning system, advises residents and authorities to remain cautious but not take emergency action.
The heavy rainfall comes during the peak of the southwest monsoon season, which typically blankets much of India between June and September. Meteorologists say that the current rainfall pattern is largely within normal parameters for this time of year, though localized cloudbursts and waterlogging cannot be ruled out in low-lying urban areas.
In a separate advisory, the IMD has also flagged Odisha for very heavy rainfall in the coming days. The orange-level warning for Odisha, one step above yellow, indicates that rain intensity may be sufficient to disrupt daily life and could trigger minor flooding in prone areas. Coastal and interior districts of Odisha have been specifically asked to monitor the situation closely.
Officials in both states have been directed to keep emergency response teams on standby. In Jharkhand, the state disaster management authority has instructed district collectors to ensure that relief materials, including boats, sandbags, and rescue equipment, are pre-positioned in vulnerable blocks.
Heavy rainfall in Jharkhand has historically caused landslides in hilly tracts and flash floods in riverine areas such as along the Damodar and Subarnarekha river basins. Residents living near these water bodies and in foothill zones have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel during the period of expected rainfall.
