Ahmedabad: A dramatic shift in Gujarat’s weather has triggered heavy rainfall, hailstorms, and strong winds across the state, claiming eight lives in the past 24 hours, as per the reports. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), intense weather conditions are expected to persist through Tuesday and Wednesday.
The sudden spell of unseasonal weather, rare for peak summer, has impacted 114 talukas, with over 50 reporting moderate to heavy rainfall on Monday evening. The worst-hit areas include Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar, Kheda, Vadodara, Anand, Botad, Banaskantha, and Aravalli districts. Sihor in Bhavnagar recorded the highest rainfall—37 mm in just two hours.
In Ahmedabad, a dust storm followed by rain late Monday night led to over 40 complaints of fallen trees, overwhelming municipal services. Other affected regions include Gandhinagar’s Mansa (24 mm), Kheda’s Nadiad (22 mm), Vadodara (20 mm), and various parts of Anand, Banaskantha, and Kheda districts.
The IMD has issued an alert for parts of Gujarat, forecasting severe thunderstorms with lightning and surface winds gusting up to 70 km/h, along with hailstorms in multiple districts including Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Rajkot, and Kutch.
For Tuesday, May 6, IMD has predicted severe thunderstorm with lightning and surface winds at 60-70 kmph speed (in gust) accompanied by moderate to heavy rain are expected in districts of Gandhinagar, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Chhotaudepur, Narmada, Bharuch, Surat, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi and in Daman, Dadara Nagar Haveli; in Saurashtra districts of Surendranagar, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Botad.
The ongoing weather pattern is expected to cause a 3–5°C drop in maximum temperatures across Gujarat, offering temporary relief from the scorching summer heat. However, the unseasonal rains have raised concerns among farmers about potential crop damage.
Authorities have urged residents to stay indoors during storms and avoid water-logged areas. Emergency response teams are on alert across vulnerable districts.