Heavy rain continued along the northern coast of India’s Andhra Pradesh after a deep depression made landfall on September 24.
Visakhapatnam recorded 28cm of rain over 24 hours, and traffic on some roads came to a halt because of flooding.
What mattered in this situation was not only the total amount of rain, but also that the risk of flooding rapidly increased on already saturated ground and around rivers.
3-Line Summary
1. Heavy rain fell in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
2. Visakhapatnam recorded 28cm in 24 hours
3. Flooding risk is difficult to assess based on rainfall alone
Low-Pressure System Passes the Coast, 28cm in Visakhapatnam
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the deep depression passed along the coast near southwest of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh between the night of September 23 and the early morning of 24. On the morning of September 24, it was located over the northern coast of Andhra Pradesh and adjoining areas of southern Odisha, and was forecast to weaken while moving north-northwestward.
The New Indian Express reported that Visakhapatnam’s 24-hour rainfall was 28cm. Koyyalagudem recorded 20cm, while Bheemunipatnam, Kakinada, and Peddapuram each recorded 15cm. More than 5cm of rain fell in several parts of Andhra Pradesh.
In areas where rainfall was concentrated, road connections were affected first. Water filled a major road connecting Anakapalli and Chodavaram, bringing traffic to a halt, and low-lying areas of Vijayawada were also flooded. Ponds, canals, and small waterways overflowed in the Parvathipuram Manyam district. This demonstrates that even when rainfall totals are the same, the impact on daily life can vary depending on drainage routes and the location of low-lying areas.
Rain Extends into Odisha, Flash-Flood Alerts for 33 Areas
Heavy rain continued in southern Odisha after the low-pressure system moved inland. According to the same report, Odisha’s average rainfall over the 24 hours through the morning of September 24 was 70mm, while Semiliguda in Koraput district recorded 193.9mm. The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert warning that more than 20cm of rain could fall in Nabarangpur, along with lower-level alerts for several other areas.
Bodhi Wire reported that flash-flood risk alerts were issued on September 23 for 33 areas across the four states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana. It explained that the soil had become saturated from prolonged monsoon rain, making it difficult for the ground to absorb additional rainfall and potentially causing surface-water flows to increase rapidly.
Flash flooding is a phenomenon in which water levels rise rapidly after a large amount of rain falls in a short period. Authorities advised people not to cross rivers with fast currents, underpasses, or low bridges, and to move to higher ground if water levels rise. This heavy rain revealed not only the movement of the low-pressure system itself, but also how vulnerable roads and low-lying areas had become in places that were already holding water.
References
Tags #IndiaWeather #HeavyRainInIndia #AndhraPradesh #Odisha #Visakhapatnam #LowPressureSystem #TorrentialRain #Flooding #FlashFlooding #WeatherAlert #IndiaMeteorologicalDepartment #Monsoon #RoadFlooding