IMD issues heavy rain and thunderstorm alerts for 25 states as monsoon remains active

The India Meteorological Department has issued heavy rain and thunderstorm warnings for 25 states on Sunday as the monsoon remains active from the northwest to the northeast and south.

Delhi-NCR, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir are among the areas under alert. Winds of 30-40 km/h are possible in the capital region.

In Uttar Pradesh, districts including Gautam Buddha Nagar, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Agra, Kanpur and Prayagraj face heavy rain. Eastern UP is expected to see continued widespread rainfall through 25 August.

Bihar has warnings for Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and several other districts. Similar alerts cover Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and southern states including Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Hill states report landslides and road blockages from continuous rain. Tourists and local residents have been stranded in parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Authorities have advised people to avoid open spaces during thunderstorms because of lightning risk. Low-lying areas face waterlogging and possible flood-like conditions.

The monsoon has already swollen the Ganga, Yamuna and other rivers in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, contributing to flood alerts in those states.

The IMD continues to monitor the system. Further updates will be issued as conditions evolve.