Monsoon activity has increased again across Gujarat, causing heavy rains in various parts of the state, including Ahmedabad. Due to dark clouds, most urban areas are plunged into darkness.
The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for districts such as Dwarka, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bharuch, Surat, and Navsari. Meanwhile, a yellow alert has been issued for Ahmedabad, Kachchh, Morbi, Surendranagar, Anand, Rajkot, Botad, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Narmada, Tapi, Dang, and Valsad.
Currently, Gujarat has registered more than 80 percent more rainfall than the average for the season. In South Gujarat, this figure reached 110 percent, while Kachchh received only 30 percent of the rain. According to the State Emergency Operations Centre, rainfall occurred in 240 talukas across 33 districts in the last 24 hours.
Heavy rains have led to road flooding in Ahmedabad and other cities, disrupting traffic. As a result of the flooding, one school bus and a private car were stuck in a pothole. Meteorologists predict that heavy or very heavy rainfall is expected in several places over the next few hours, with potentially even more intense rains possible in some southern and Surat areas. The administration is working on drainage to mitigate urban problems.
The primary scientific reason for these heavy rains is the persistence of southwest monsoon activity and the presence of a low-pressure area. According to the India Meteorological Department, the low-pressure area, which formed near central Madhya Pradesh and North Vidarbha, has shifted towards Southeast Rajasthan and adjacent Gujarat.
A cyclonic front is associated with this system, extending to an altitude of about 7.6 kilometers. The monsoon trough also passes through this low-pressure area, extending further to the Bay of Bengal, and moist air coming from the Arabian Sea is drawn towards this low-pressure area. When the moist air rises, it cools, forms clouds, and causes abundant precipitation.
September is traditionally the final phase of the monsoon; during this period, low-pressure areas often form in the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea, moving westward and causing active rains in Gujarat. Local soil moisture and instability in the upper atmospheric layers also intensify the intensity of the rainfall. Due to climate change, instances of heavy rainfall in Western India have increased in recent decades as rising sea temperatures increase moisture availability.
The highest amount of rainfall was recorded in South Gujarat because the monsoon current remains more active there. Rainfall was less intense in Kachchh due to the relatively arid nature of the region, where moisture does not fully reach. The flooding problem in cities like Ahmedabad is exacerbated by urbanization, which blocks natural water drainage paths.
Incidents such as the stranding of a school bus and a car are a direct consequence of this flooding. For farmers, these rains may be beneficial for rice crops, but there is a risk of damage due to excessive precipitation. Meteorologists believe that rainfall activity may continue for the next 24–48 hours. The low-pressure area is slowly moving in a northwest direction. Citizens are advised to pay attention to meteorological department warnings, and the administration needs to maintain the drainage system and prepare emergency services.