Gujarat weather today: IMD warns of heavy rain in Surat, Rajkot as monsoon withdrawal nears

Weather conditions are expected to remain active across parts of western and central India on Tuesday, with a low-pressure area over southeast Rajasthan and adjoining north Gujarat continuing to influence rainfall over the region. At the same time, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said conditions are becoming favourable for the Southwest Monsoon to begin withdrawing from parts of west Rajasthan around September 19.

The low-pressure area remains the main weather system affecting Gujarat and Rajasthan. It has already produced intense rainfall, with isolated extremely heavy rain likely over Saurashtra and Kutch, while parts of Gujarat may receive very heavy showers.

As the system moves and develops, its associated weather activity is expected to continue affecting parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and central India on Tuesday.

Gujarat weather: Yellow alert for heavy rain in Saurashtra-Kutch

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Gujarat, with heavy rain at isolated places very likely in Rajkot, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Junagadh, Morbi, Dwarka and Kutch in the Saurashtra-Kutch region. Surat is also likely to witness thunderstorms with lightning, gusty winds of 30-40 kmph and light to moderate rain at isolated places.

Light thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, surface winds of 30-40 kmph and light to moderate rain are forecast at isolated places across North Gujarat, including Banaskantha, Vav-Tharad, Patan, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Anand, Panchmahal, Dahod and Mahisagar.

Similar conditions are expected across South Gujarat, including Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Bharuch, Surat, Tapi, Dang, Navsari and Valsad, as well as Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Across Saurashtra-Kutch, the weather department has forecast thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds and light to moderate rain at isolated places in Surendranagar, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Morbi, Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Botad, Kutch and Diu.

Surat weather

Surat is expected to record a minimum temperature of 25°C and a maximum of 29°C on September 15. The city is likely to experience thunderstorms accompanied by rain, with lightning and gusty winds reaching 30-40 kmph also forecast during the day.

Trough keeps central India weather active

A trough extending from the cyclonic circulation linked to the low-pressure area towards Jharkhand, passing through Madhya Pradesh and north Chhattisgarh, is adding to the weather activity.

The elongated zone of relatively low atmospheric pressure could help transport moisture and support cloud formation and rainfall over parts of central and eastern India.

Another upper-air cyclonic circulation has also formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal areas of north Odisha and West Bengal. The system extends through the lower and middle levels of the atmosphere and could contribute to rainfall over eastern parts of the country.

Meanwhile, a separate trough stretching from south interior Karnataka towards the southwest Bay of Bengal is expected to maintain active weather over parts of peninsular India.

Southwest Monsoon withdrawal likely from September 19

While several regions continue to face active rainfall, the broader seasonal pattern over northwest India is beginning to shift.

The IMD said conditions are becoming favourable for the Southwest Monsoon to withdraw from some parts of west Rajasthan around September 19. The retreat of the monsoon from Rajasthan generally marks the start of its gradual withdrawal from the Indian subcontinent.

The development points to a transition in the weather pattern, with some areas still likely to experience heavy rain under the influence of individual weather systems even as the larger monsoon circulation begins to weaken over northwest India.

Western Disturbance also present

A Western Disturbance, an atmospheric system that moves into India from the west, is also present as a trough in the middle levels of the atmosphere.

For Tuesday, rainfall activity over western and central India, particularly Gujarat, is expected to remain a key feature. At the same time, the favourable conditions for monsoon withdrawal from northwest India signal the beginning of the seasonal transition.