Madhya Pradesh remains under an active monsoon spell, with the strongest rainfall threat concentrated in eastern and north-eastern districts. IMD has issued an extremely heavy rainfall warning for Sidhi, a very heavy rainfall warning for Satna, and heavy-rain warnings for 11 other districts.

LAST UPDATED: AUGUST 18, 2026 | 8:30 PM IST

1. Sidhi, Satna Face Highest Rain Risk

The India Meteorological Department's August 18 bulletin puts Sidhi under an isolated extremely heavy rainfall warning, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 30–40 kmph.

Satna has been placed under a very heavy rainfall warning with similar thunderstorm and lightning risks.

The heavy-rain warning covers Singrauli, Shahdol, Katni, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Mandla, Balaghat, Damoh, Sagar, Chhatarpur and Tikamgarh.

IMD's district forecast also shows rainfall at most places across Singrauli, Sidhi, Rewa, Mauganj, Satna, Anuppur, Shahdol, Umaria, Dindori, Katni, Jabalpur, Seoni, Mandla, Balaghat, Panna and Maihar.

2. Luvkushnagar Tops 24-Hour Rainfall

The latest IMD observation, based on rainfall recorded during the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on August 18, puts Luvkushnagar at 75 mm, the highest reported total.

The next major rainfall totals were Balaghat 74.2 mm, Chitrangi 69.2 mm, Kiranapur 58.6 mm and Sarai 57.2 mm. Hanumana recorded 48 mm, followed by Majhgaon at 42 mm and Kathiwada at 41 mm.

The figures confirm that the strongest rainfall activity has remained focused on eastern and central parts of the state.

3. Eastern MP Remains Monsoon Hotspot

IMD recorded rain at most places in Rewa and Shahdol divisions during the preceding 24 hours. Rain occurred at many places in Jabalpur and Sagar divisions, while Bhopal, Indore and Narmadapuram divisions received rain at a few places. Ujjain and Gwalior divisions recorded isolated rainfall.

The weather pattern is being influenced by a depression over Jharkhand and adjoining northern Gangetic West Bengal, which was moving west-northwestwards and was expected to weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during the following 24 hours. IMD also identified the monsoon trough and an upper-air trough extending across northern Madhya Pradesh as important weather features.

4. MP Monsoon Deficit Still Needs Watching

The latest widely reported statewide assessment available before the August 18 rainfall spell put Madhya Pradesh's seasonal rainfall at 544.4 mm, around 12% below normal. Eastern Madhya Pradesh was about 18% below normal, while western Madhya Pradesh was about 6% below normal. Forty-three districts were reported to have below-normal rainfall, while 12 had received above-normal rainfall.

However, the August 18 IMD daily bulletin does not provide a newer statewide cumulative rainfall-deficit figure. Therefore, the 544.4 mm and 12% deficit figures should be treated as the latest previously reported statewide benchmark, not as the final August 18 position.

5. Temperature Watch: Gwalior Hits 33.5°C

Rainfall kept temperatures subdued in several parts of the state.

Gwalior recorded the highest maximum temperature at 33.5°C, followed by Datia and Shivpuri at 32°C and Sidhi at 31.8°C.

The lowest maximum temperature was recorded at Malanjkhand at 24.5°C, followed by Pachmarhi at 25.4°C and Sagar at 25.5°C.

For minimum temperatures, Khargone recorded the state's lowest reading at 18°C, while Gwalior recorded the highest minimum at 26.7°C.

6. Flood and Farm Risk Remains High

IMD has warned of severe waterlogging in low-lying areas, rising river and waterfall levels, temporary closure of low-lying bridges and roads, erosion along riverbanks and flash-flood risks in vulnerable areas during intense rainfall.

Farmers have been advised to ensure proper field drainage and avoid irrigation, fertiliser application and plant-protection spraying during rainy conditions. IMD also recommends protecting harvested produce, seeds, fertilisers and farm machinery from rain.

The tracker will not label the rainfall as beneficial or damaging to soybean, paddy or maize without supporting agricultural assessments.

7. August 19–24: Rain Threat Continues

The wet spell is expected to continue, particularly over eastern Madhya Pradesh.

IMD's latest subdivision warning shows East Madhya Pradesh under a very heavy rainfall warning on August 19 and 20, followed by a heavy-rain warning on August 21 and 22. West Madhya Pradesh has heavy-rain warnings for August 20 and 21, with very heavy rainfall possible on August 22.

For Bhopal, IMD expects generally cloudy conditions with thunderstorms, lightning and rain, with a forecast maximum of 27°C and minimum of 23°C through the morning of August 19.

The key number for the next update will be whether this eastern-MP spell further reduces the state's seasonal rainfall deficit.

Primary source: India Meteorological Department, Meteorological Centre Bhopal. IMD Meteorological Centre Bhopal