Parts of East Ahmedabad witnessed fresh rainfall on Friday afternoon as the city entered the red alert period forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) a day earlier. Neighbouring Gandhinagar also received rain, signalling that the weather system has begun impacting the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar region.
The showers, reported from several localities in eastern Ahmedabad, marked the beginning of the expected spell of heavy rainfall for the city. As the day progressed, rain spread across both eastern and western parts of Ahmedabad, with Naroda, Hanspura, Saijpur Bogha, Ashram Road, Paldi, Vishala, Juhapura, Vasna, Chandlodia and Gota witnessing rainfall. While some areas experienced light showers, others were lashed by heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds.
Red Alert Issued for Two Days
The IMD has placed Ahmedabad under a red alert for Friday and Saturday after a strong monsoon system that developed over the Bay of Bengal moved towards Gujarat. According to the weather department, the city is likely to receive heavy to very heavy, and at isolated places extremely heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours.
Authorities have appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary travel and remain alert as the weather system intensifies.
AMC Deploys Staff as Waterlogging Begins
The fresh spell comes days after heavy rains inundated several parts of Ahmedabad, exposing recurring issues of waterlogging and inadequate stormwater drainage. With rain beginning to intensify on Friday, waterlogging was reported from some parts of East Ahmedabad.
In view of the red alert, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has cancelled the leave of all field staff and deployed teams across the city. Civic workers have been opening catchpits and stormwater drains at waterlogged locations to ensure the quick discharge of accumulated rainwater.
Central Gujarat Continues to Receive Heavy Rain
Even as rain began in Ahmedabad, central Gujarat continued to witness intense monsoon activity. According to the State Emergency Operation Center (SEOC), Vaso taluka in Kheda district received 124 mm of rainfall between 8 am and 10 am, the highest in the state during the two-hour period. Petlad (104 mm), Nadiad (95 mm) and Umarpada in Surat district (85 mm) were among the other worst-hit locations.
Heavy rainfall was also recorded in Sojitra (80 mm), Khambhat (77 mm), Borsad (75 mm), Songadh (74 mm), Ukai (71 mm), Netrang (70 mm), Mahudha (69 mm), Mangrol (65 mm) and Dediapada (57 mm), reflecting widespread monsoon activity across central and south Gujarat.
