Ahmedabad: As Gujarat waits for the official arrival of the southwest monsoon, the state is gearing up for yet another spell of pre-monsoon showers starting today. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a rainy week ahead, with moderate to heavy rain with gusty winds expected across several regions due to two active weather systems over the state.
The weather department has issued a red alert for the next three hours in some parts of Gujarat. Districts like Gir Somnath, Diu, Junagadh, Porbandar, and Amreli may see strong storms with heavy rain. Wind speeds in these areas could reach between 62 to 87 km/h. People are advised to stay safe and avoid going out unless necessary.
According to the IMD, 21 districts are likely to receive rain today, with conditions expected to persist through May 26. The showers began early this morning in Surat, where strong winds accompanied heavy downpours in areas such as Adajan, Pal, Rander, and Athwalines. Rainfall intensity is expected to gradually increase from tomorrow, with Saurashtra and Kutch forecast to experience moderate to heavy showers in the coming days. Wind speeds are expected to remain under 40 km/h.
The IMD has also issued a short-term alert for the next few hours, predicting thunderstorms with moderate rain for districts including Gir Somnath, Bharuch, Narmada, Surat, Tapi, Navsari, and Dang. Coastal regions such as Valsad, Diu, Daman, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli are also likely to see moderate rainfall.
Cities like Junagadh, Amreli, Porbandar, Bhavnagar, Botad, and Ahmedabad may see isolated thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds and lightning. Similar conditions are anticipated in Anand, Vadodara, and Chhota Udepur. Though the monsoon is still a few days away from officially reaching Kerala, expected within four to five days,its influence is already being felt in Gujarat, bringing a cloudy, rain-filled atmosphere.
Today’s forecast includes scattered rain with possible thunderstorms in southern Gujarat and parts of central and northern regions like Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Kheda, Panchmahal, Dahod, and Anand. Light to moderate rain is also expected in parts of Saurashtra including Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar, and Rajkot. Residents are advised to stay updated with local weather alerts as conditions remain unstable across the state.