Rain battered Madhya Pradesh to receive another spell of showers, says IMD

Madhya Pradesh, which has received 28 per cent more rainfall than normal so far this season, is expected to receive another spell of showers in the next 24 to 48 hours, a MeT department official said on Thursday.

Heavy downpour over the last few days had caused flooding in parts of Vidisha, Sagar, Bhind, Morena and Sheopur districts.

Power supply had also been disrupted in various places, including state capital Bhopal.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had conducted an aerial survey and also visited some of the flood-affected areas by boats.

Relief operations are on in flood-affected areas, officials said on Thursday.

Madhya Pradesh has received 928 mm rainfall so far this monsoon season, which is 28 per cent more than normal, India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Bhopal office senior meteorologist Ved Prakash Singh told PTI.

"The rain spell is likely to last till August 31. It is going to cover central and eastern Madhya Pradesh. It might be less effective in Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior and Chambal divisions of the state, he said.

A cyclonic circulation was lying over the northern part of Bay of Bengal. That is why parts of eastern MP have received rainfall, he said.

"It (cyclonic circulation) is going to intensify into a low pressure area in the next 24 to 48 hours and then move towards Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, triggering rainfall activities in Madhya Pradesh, the official said.

The rain activity, however, is not expected to be much intense this time, he said.

In the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Thursday, Sidhi city and Churhat area of the district received 108.5 and 105 mm rainfall, respectively.

Mada in Singrauli district recorded 82.6 mm rain and Chandiya in Umaria district received 61.2 mm downpour, as per the IMD data.