As India's southwest monsoon begins its annual withdrawal, the India Meteorological Department has issued a sweeping weather alert for September 28, 2026, covering nearly every corner of the subcontinent. From the Himalayan foothills to the southern coasts, the retreating monsoon leaves behind not silence but turbulence — thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds marking its passage. Two active low-pressure systems, one over Uttar Pradesh and another forming over the Bay of Bengal, remind us that nature's transitions are rarely clean or quiet.
IMD forecasts heavy rain, thunderstorms across India on September 28
30 centimeters of rain fell in a single day
Mark
So the IMD is saying heavy rain across the country on September 28. How unusual is that? Is this a normal monsoon pattern?
Mimi
It's the tail end of the southwest monsoon season, so some rain is expected. But what makes this significant is the combination—you have the monsoon still withdrawing, which usually means drier conditions, but at the same time there are multiple low-pressure systems active. That's what's creating this patchwork of heavy rainfall in specific areas.
Luke
When you say "multiple weather systems," how many are we actually talking about? The source mentions two low-pressure areas specifically—one over Uttar Pradesh and one over Myanmar. Are there others, or is that the main driver?
Mimi
Those are the two the IMD explicitly called out. The Uttar Pradesh system was already producing the 30-centimeter rainfall on September 27. The Myanmar system is still developing and moving toward the Bay of Bengal.
Mark
The numbers are striking—30 centimeters in East Uttar Pradesh, 12 to 20 in Uttarakhand and Bihar. What does that mean for people on the ground?
Mimi
That's exceptionally heavy rainfall. For context, 30 centimeters in a day is the kind of amount that causes flooding, overwhelms drainage systems, and can trigger landslides in hilly terrain. Uttarakhand especially is vulnerable because of its topography.
Luke
But the forecast for September 28 says the Uttar Pradesh system is expected to "gradually weaken." So the worst might already be behind us?
Mimi
For that particular system, yes. But Uttarakhand is still forecast to see isolated heavy rain on the 28th, and the northeast systems are ramping up through September 30 and into October 1. So it's not that the weather is clearing—it's shifting.
Mark
What about the fishermen warnings? That seems like a separate concern.
Mimi
The maritime systems are connected to the same weather patterns. The low-pressure area moving toward the Bay of Bengal will create rough seas. The Arabian Sea warnings are about a different system affecting the Somalia coast area.
Luke
The source says fishermen should "follow the latest IMD warnings." But it doesn't specify what "rough weather" means in terms of wave height or wind speed. For the Arabian Sea, we get 30-40 kmph winds gusting to 50. For the Bay of Bengal, we don't get specific numbers.
Mimi
That's a fair gap. The northeast forecast is very detailed—40-50 kmph gusting to 60 over Assam and Meghalaya. But the maritime forecast is vaguer. Fishermen would need to check the actual IMD marine bulletins for precise conditions.
Mark
So what's the takeaway? Is this a crisis or a normal weather event?
Mimi
It's a significant weather event, but not unprecedented. The real impact depends on local preparedness and drainage capacity. The northeast and southern interior Karnataka are the areas to watch most closely because of the sustained rainfall forecast through early October.
Il Polso
- East Uttar Pradesh recorded over 30 centimeters of rainfall in a single day, with Uttarakhand, Bihar and surrounding states also absorbing heavy downpours — a northern tier already saturated and bracing for more.
- The northeast faces the most volatile conditions, with Assam and Meghalaya expecting wind gusts up to 60 kilometers per hour and sustained thunderstorm activity stretching from September 28 through October 1.
- A second low-pressure system forming over south coastal Myanmar is tracking toward the Bay of Bengal, threatening to intensify rainfall across southern and northeastern states as it progresses.
- Fishermen across both the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal have been warned to stay ashore, as rough seas and unpredictable squalls make coastal waters dangerous through late September.
- Southern states including Kerala and Karnataka are watching a building threat — rainfall expected to intensify from October 1 onward, even as the monsoon's formal withdrawal line continues its march toward the Arabian Sea.
As India's southwest monsoon begins its annual withdrawal, the India Meteorological Department has issued a sweeping weather alert for September 28, 2026, covering nearly every corner of the subcontinent. From the Himalayan foothills to the southern coasts, the retreating monsoon leaves behind not silence but turbulence — thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds marking its passage. Two active low-pressure systems, one over Uttar Pradesh and another forming over the Bay of Bengal, remind us that nature's transitions are rarely clean or quiet.
On September 27, India's Meteorological Department issued a nationwide weather alert for the following day, forecasting rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds across much of the country as the southwest monsoon continues its seasonal retreat. The picture that emerged was one of unsettled conditions stretching from the Himalayan foothills to the southern coasts.
The north bore the heaviest immediate burden. East Uttar Pradesh recorded exceptional rainfall exceeding 30 centimeters, while Uttarakhand, West Uttar Pradesh and Bihar each received between 12 and 20 centimeters. The low-pressure system driving this activity was expected to drift north-northwestward and weaken, though Uttarakhand remained at risk for isolated heavy downpours and continued thunderstorms. Himachal Pradesh and other northwest areas were also forecast to see rain and electrical storms.
Across central India, West and East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh faced scattered rainfall and possible thunderstorms. In western India, Gujarat, Konkan, Goa and Madhya Maharashtra were expected to see showers, with wind gusts reaching 50 kilometers per hour over Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada.
The northeast presented the most volatile conditions. Assam and Meghalaya were forecast to experience thunderstorms and gusts up to 60 kilometers per hour from September 28 through 30, with similar intensity expected over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura extending through October 1.
In the south, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Telangana and Karnataka all faced varying degrees of rainfall and thunderstorm activity. Kerala and South Interior Karnataka were watching a building threat, with rainfall expected to intensify from October 1 onward as a second low-pressure system — forming over south coastal Myanmar and tracking toward the northeast Bay of Bengal — made its influence felt.
Fishermen were warned to avoid rough waters across both the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, as the convergence of these systems promised that September 28 would bring active weather to nearly every region of the country simultaneously.
The India Meteorological Department issued a broad weather alert on September 27 for the following day, predicting rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds across much of the country as the southwest monsoon continues its seasonal retreat. The forecast painted a picture of unsettled conditions stretching from the Himalayan foothills to the southern coasts, with isolated pockets of heavy rainfall expected in the north and northeast, and a separate system building over the Bay of Bengal.
The northern tier bore the brunt of active weather on September 27 itself. East Uttar Pradesh recorded exceptionally heavy rainfall exceeding 30 centimeters, while Uttarakhand, West Uttar Pradesh and Bihar each received between 12 and 20 centimeters. For September 28, the system responsible for this rain was expected to drift north-northwestward across Uttar Pradesh and gradually lose strength, though Uttarakhand remained in line for isolated heavy downpours and continued thunderstorm activity across the region. Parts of Himachal Pradesh and other northwest areas were also forecast to see rain and electrical storms.
The central belt faced a patchwork of conditions. West and East Madhya Pradesh, along with Vidarbha, were likely to receive isolated to scattered rainfall with possible thunderstorms and lightning. Chhattisgarh similarly faced the prospect of isolated rain and thunderstorms. In western India, Gujarat, Konkan, Goa and Madhya Maharashtra were expected to see isolated to scattered showers in the coming days, with Marathwada also in the forecast for September 28. Wind gusts of 30 to 40 kilometers per hour, reaching 50 in stronger bursts, were predicted over Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada, accompanied by thunderstorm and lightning activity.
The northeast presented a particularly volatile picture. Arunachal Pradesh faced isolated to scattered rainfall, while Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura were all expected to receive rain. More dramatically, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 40 to 50 kilometers per hour, gusting to 60, were forecast over Assam and Meghalaya from September 28 through 30. Similar conditions were expected over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura extending through October 1.
Southern India's weather pattern showed both immediate and developing threats. Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Lakshadweep, North Interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal were all forecast to see isolated to scattered rainfall on September 28. Thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds were expected over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and Telangana. South Interior Karnataka faced a more sustained threat, with heavy rainfall likely from September 28 through October 1. Kerala and Mahe were expected to receive isolated to scattered rain through September 30, with rainfall activity intensifying from October 1 onward. Coastal Karnataka was forecast to see more widespread rainfall beginning September 29. Wind gusts of 30 to 40 kilometers per hour, gusting to 50, were predicted over Kerala and Mahe from September 29 through October 1, with similar conditions expected over North and South Interior Karnataka.
Underlying these regional forecasts were two significant weather systems. A well-marked low-pressure area over northern central Uttar Pradesh was expected to move north-northwestward and gradually weaken over the next 12 hours. A second low-pressure system had formed over south coastal Myanmar and was forecast to move toward the north Andaman Sea before progressing into the northeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh. The southwest monsoon withdrawal line, which had passed through Gurdaspur, Chandigarh, Muzaffarnagar, Aligarh, Dholpur, Udaipur, Deesa and Naliya on September 27, continued its seasonal progression toward the Arabian Sea.
The maritime forecast carried its own warnings. Fishermen were advised to avoid certain areas of the Arabian Sea, particularly along and off the Somalia coast and over parts of the southwest Arabian Sea through September 29. In the Bay of Bengal, rough weather conditions were expected over the north Andaman Sea and along parts of the Myanmar and Bangladesh coasts, with fishermen instructed to monitor the latest departmental warnings before entering affected waters. The convergence of these systems meant that September 28 would bring active weather across nearly every region of the country, with the most severe impacts concentrated in the northeast, parts of the north, and southern interior areas.
Citazioni salienti
A well-marked low-pressure area over northern parts of central Uttar Pradesh is expected to move north-northwestwards and weaken gradually during the next 12 hours— India Meteorological Department
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