Gandhinagar, Oct 23 (IANS) A sudden change in weather has brought rain and gusty winds to parts of Gujarat, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast of heavy rainfall across Gujarat and southern India.

In South Gujarat’s Valsad district, a shift in weather was recorded on Thursday, where heavy downpours and strong winds created a situation resembling a ‘mini cyclone’. Valsad city and surrounding areas, including Dharampur and Kaprada, witnessed intense rainfall. Villages such as Phulwadi, Jharia, Bhensdhara, Barolia, Dhamni and Bilpudi reported torrential rains, while strong winds damaged parts of the District Seva Sadan building.

Low-lying areas in the city were inundated, and farmers fear damage to winter crops due to unseasonal rainfall at the start of the new year.

According to the IMD, unseasonal rains are likely to continue in parts of South Gujarat, Sabarkantha, Mahisagar and Aravalli districts. The intensity of rainfall is expected to increase from October 25, with heavy rains predicted over South Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch.

Gujarat has recorded rainfall totaling about 90 per cent of the seasonal average up to August 31, since the onset of the southwest monsoon on June 15. Regionally, South Gujarat and North Gujarat reported around 94 per cent of their typical rainfall, while East-Central districts saw about 89 per cent.

Earlier in the season, as of August 1, South Gujarat had received around 997 mm (about 67 per cent of its seasonal average) and North Gujarat 470 mm (about 65 per cent).

In June and July together, the state registered around 450.5 mm of rainfall, of which June alone contributed about 303 mm and July about 147 mm. While the cumulative figures are reasonably close to average, striking regional variation persists — and there remains concern about unseasonal rainfall and potential crop damage as post-monsoon disturbances begin to affect the state.

As of August 2025, the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River was reported to be over 75 per cent full, holding 252,399 mcft of water. Across the state’s approximately 206 other reservoirs, storage averaged around 69.62 per cent of capacity — with 31 reservoirs at 100 per cent capacity, 72 between 70-100 per cent, and 33 still below 25 per cent. Earlier in the season, by July 1, the major dams collectively held about 48.68 per cent of their capacity (Sardar Sarovar at ~48.23 per cent).

–IANS

janvi/rad