The IMD rain alert currently covers roughly 25 states across India, triggered by a depression over Jharkhand and an active monsoon trough that is dumping very heavy rain on the east, northeast and parts of north India through August 22.
Key Takeaways
- A depression over Jharkhand has pulled the monsoon trough south, triggering the current IMD rain alert across eastern and central India.
- Red and orange alerts are active for West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh; yellow alerts cover Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala.
- Delhi-NCR is seeing cloudy skies and intermittent rain, though the capital itself isn’t under the strictest warning category yet.
- The India Meteorological Department expects the system to gradually weaken by midweek, but flash-flood and landslide risk stays high in hilly and low-lying districts until then.
What’s Driving the Current IMD Rain Alert?
Weather in India this week is being shaped by a low-pressure area that deepened into a depression over Jharkhand and neighbouring Bengal. That system dragged the monsoon trough down from its usual foothill position, which is exactly the setup that produces the kind of widespread, heavy rain India is seeing right now.
IMD scientists describe this as a fairly classic August pattern — depressions forming in the Bay of Bengal or over land, moving northwest, and soaking everything in their path. What’s notable this time is the sheer spread: instead of one or two states getting drenched, the IMD rain alert list has stretched to cover both the east coast and the northeastern hill states simultaneously.
Which States Are Under the IMD Rain Alert Right Now?
The alert map changes daily, but as of this week’s bulletins, the broad picture looks like this:
| Alert Level | States/Regions | What It Means |
| Red | Parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha | Take action — extremely heavy rain likely, real flood risk |
| Orange | Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh (northeast) | Be prepared — very heavy rain expected |
| Yellow | Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, parts of Delhi-NCR | Watch and stay updated — heavy rain possible |
Roughly two dozen states and union territories have featured on some version of this warning list in the last few days, which is why several outlets are reporting “25 states” under an active rain advisory. The exact count shifts as the depression moves, so it’s worth checking IMD’s day-by-day bulletin rather than treating any single number as fixed.
How Bad Will the Rainfall Actually Get?
“Heavy” and “very heavy” aren’t just descriptive words in IMD language — they’re specific rainfall bands. Heavy rain generally means 64.5 to 115.5 mm in 24 hours; very heavy crosses that up to around 204.4 mm; anything beyond is classed extremely heavy. States under red alert this week are expected to see the upper end of that range in isolated pockets, particularly in Jharkhand, Odisha and parts of Bengal where the depression is centred.
You can track the live bulletin directly on the India Meteorological Department’s official site, which updates state-wise warnings twice daily and is the most reliable source once local news headlines start to vary.
Himachal Pradesh’s yellow alert is a different animal — it’s less about volume and more about terrain. Even moderate rain on already-saturated hill slopes can trigger landslides and road blockages, which is why authorities there are flagging it despite a lower colour-coded severity.
Is Delhi-NCR Affected?
Delhi has had cloudy skies and scattered showers rather than the intense rainfall hitting the east and northeast. It sits on the fringe of this system, so expect humid, overcast conditions and short spells of rain rather than the flooding risk associated with red-alert zones. That could change quickly if the trough shifts north, so it’s worth a daily check rather than assuming the mild pattern holds.
How Does This Compare to a Typical August Monsoon Week?
This is a useful reality check: India typically sees three to five depressions or low-pressure systems during August and September, each bringing a multi-day spell of heavy rain to whichever region it tracks over. What makes the current spell notable isn’t the mechanism — it’s the width of coverage, with red alerts on the east coast and orange alerts in the northeast hills at the same time, plus western disturbances stirring up wind and rain in Rajasthan. That kind of simultaneous, multi-region alert spread happens most years but rarely gets this much combined news attention in a single week, largely because Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam and Himachal Pradesh are all facing it together.
What Should You Do During a Red or Orange Alert?
None of this needs to be frightening if you take basic precautions seriously:
- Avoid unnecessary travel through red-alert districts, especially through low-lying roads and known flood-prone stretches.
- Keep an eye on river and dam water-release bulletins if you live near a river basin in Bengal, Jharkhand or Odisha.
- In hill areas like Himachal Pradesh, avoid non-essential drives on mountain roads after continuous rain — landslide risk rises sharply.
- Keep phones charged and follow your state disaster management authority’s account for real-time evacuation or shelter updates.
- Farmers in alert zones should delay harvesting or spraying operations until the spell passes, since waterlogging can undo days of work quickly.
FAQ
What does the current IMD rain alert cover?
It covers roughly two dozen states, with the most severe red and orange warnings concentrated in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and the northeastern hill states, driven by a depression over Jharkhand.
How long will the heavy rain continue?
IMD’s current outlook runs through August 22, with the system expected to gradually weaken over the following days as it moves further inland.
Is Kerala under a red alert too?
Kerala has been placed under an orange alert in several districts rather than red, reflecting a lower but still significant rainfall threat compared with the eastern states.
Why is Himachal Pradesh under alert if its rainfall is lower?
Hilly terrain means even moderate rain can trigger landslides or flash floods, so IMD and state authorities flag it as a caution zone regardless of the raw rainfall numbers.
Where can I check today’s exact state-wise alert?
IMD’s official website publishes a fresh, state-by-state bulletin every morning and evening, which is the most accurate source since regional risk shifts daily.
Conclusion
The current IMD rain alert is a reminder that August monsoon systems can turn serious fast, but it’s manageable with basic preparation. Track your state’s specific colour-coded warning daily rather than relying on national headlines alone, and treat red-alert zones with real caution until the depression clears.