Madhya Pradesh is likely to see another spell of heavy rain from Wednesday as monsoon activity shifts towards the central, western and northern parts of the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for extremely heavy rainfall in Bhind, Datia and Sagar for August 26, while several other districts have been warned of heavy rain.

The state has received around 648.7 mm (25.5 inches) of rainfall so far this monsoon season, which is about 68% of the seasonal quota. However, rainfall remains around 11% below normal, with 40 districts recording below-average rainfall and only 15 districts receiving more than their normal rainfall so far.

Heavy Rain Alert for 3 Districts

According to the IMD, extremely heavy rainfall is possible in Bhind, Datia and Sagar on Wednesday. Heavy rainfall has also been forecast for Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashoknagar, Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore, Shajapur, Rajgarh, Agar-Malwa, Ujjain, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Satna, Damoh, Maihar and Seoni.

Several other districts, including Bhopal, Indore, Dhar, Alirajpur, Burhanpur, Barwani, Khandwa, Khargone, Jhabua, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Dewas, Ratlam, Narmadapuram, Betul, Harda, Morena, Sheopur, Jabalpur, Katni, Chhindwara, Narsinghpur, Balaghat, Mandla, Dindori, Pandhurna, Rewa, Sidhi, Singrauli, Mauganj, Shahdol, Umaria, Anuppur and Niwari, may also receive rain ranging from light to heavy.

Bhopal Among Rain-Affected Areas

Bhopal is also expected to receive rain as the monsoon system becomes more active over central Madhya Pradesh. The shift follows a period during which eastern parts of the state received more rainfall activity.

Weather experts have indicated that rainfall activity could continue across several districts for the next few days as the prevailing weather system remains active.

State Still 11% Below Normal

Madhya Pradesh has recorded 648.7 mm of rainfall against the normal 727.9 mm expected by this stage of the monsoon season. This means the state is around 3.1 inches short of its normal rainfall at this point.

The eastern region, covering divisions such as Jabalpur, Rewa, Sagar and Shahdol, has also experienced rainfall deficiencies in several districts. The western region has reported below-normal rainfall across a number of districts as well.

Despite the deficit, rainfall in some districts has exceeded their respective averages.

15 Districts Above Average

According to the available IMD data, Anuppur, Dindori, Niwari, Satna, Shahdol, Sidhi, Singrauli, Umaria, Bhind, Bhopal, Burhanpur, Guna, Gwalior, Khargone and Rajgarh have recorded rainfall above their respective normal levels.

The distribution remains uneven, however, with several districts still facing deficits ranging from a few percentage points to nearly half of their normal rainfall.

June Deficit Yet to Recover

The monsoon began with a rainfall deficit in June, when Madhya Pradesh received around 14% less rain than normal. Rainfall improved during July, helping the state meet the month's overall quota, but subsequent breaks in monsoon activity prevented the June shortfall from being fully recovered.

The state's normal seasonal rainfall is around 37.3 inches, while Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior generally receive around 38-39 inches during the full monsoon season.

The latest spell of rain could provide some relief to districts still facing a rainfall deficit, although the overall seasonal distribution will depend on how the monsoon performs during the remaining weeks.