Raipur, July 19 : The Meteorological Department has issued an alert for heavy to very heavy rain and thunderstorms in Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur and Surguja divisions of Chhattisgarh for the next 48 hours due to the low pressure area formed over West Bengal and Jharkhand.

Districts under an orange alert (possibility of extremely heavy rainfall) include Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir-Champa, Raipur, Gariaband, Dhamtari, Durg, and Bemetara, and districts under a yellow alert (possibility of heavy rainfall) include Surguja, Jashpur, Balrampur, Korea, Surajpur, Raigarh, and Mungeli. The administration has advised people in these areas to remain vigilant, especially in open spaces and during lightning. The continuous rain has caused temperatures to drop by 2°C to 3°C. Record-breaking rainfall in areas like Bilaspur has led to waterlogging on roads and flooding in low-lying areas, disrupting normal life.

The monsoon season in Chhattisgarh has been disappointing so far. According to data, seasonal rainfall has been 25 percent below normal. The state's long-term average rainfall for the entire monsoon season is approximately 1142 mm. According to this standard, the state should have received an average of 380 mm to 400 mm of rain from June 1st to July 18-19th, but only 285 mm to 300 mm of rain has been recorded so far.

The highest rainfall in the last 24 hours was recorded in Kusmi in Balrampur district at 280 mm. Bilaspur and Akaltara received 14 cm each, Pamgarh in Janjgir-Champa at 120 mm, and Pendra in GPM at 100 mm. Raipur city received 5.5 mm of rain, and the Mana Airport area received 7.3 mm.