NOON UPDATE FOR AHMEDABAD: The City May Likely To Experience Evening Downpour

A powerful deep depression tracking steadily westward across central India has begun pounding Gujarat, delivering severe cloudburst-like downpours across southern and central districts while keeping Ahmedabad on high alert under heavy overcast skies on Friday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert across a wide swath of the state, warning of exceptionally heavy rainfall as the atmospheric system moves across Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh towards the western coast. While South Gujarat and the Anand-Kheda belt bore the initial brunt of the tempest during the morning hours, meteorologists indicate that the monsoon fury is set to shift towards central and northern urban hubs, including Ahmedabad, by late Friday afternoon or evening.

Calm Before the Storm in Ahmedabad

In contrast to the morning chaos further south, the state capital region and Ahmedabad spent the first half of the day under a dense blanket of grey skies, accompanied by rising humidity and light intermittent drizzles. However, weather models suggest this quiet spell will be short-lived.

As the deep depression advances, heavy rain bands are expected to sweep across the city starting late Friday afternoon and continuing into the night. In response to the red alert, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has issued an advisory urging private sector firms to allow employees to work from home on Friday and Saturday to minimise urban travel risks. City authorities have placed storm-water pumping stations on standby and cleared underpasses to tackle potential flash flooding.

Disaster Management Units on High Alert

With key reservoirs filling rapidly and low-lying areas in South and Central Gujarat already experiencing localised flooding, local municipal administration and emergency services have deployed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel across vulnerable zones.

Fishermen along the Gujarat coastline have been strictly advised against venturing out to sea until August 3 due to turbulent marine conditions and strong squally winds. Residents in Ahmedabad and surrounding districts are urged to limit non-essential movement and prepare for travel disruptions as the atmospheric system peaks over the next 36 hours.