IMD forecasts rain in 19 states and UTs on September 23
Rain is likely in at least 19 states and Union territories on September 23, the India Meteorological Department said. Heavy to very heavy rain is forecast for Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh. Winds of 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph are expected over Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh, and 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph over the Bay of Bengal. Delhi is to remain mainly clear, with a maximum temperature of 34-36°C.
Source
Hindustan Times — India · read the original report ↗
Desk check · compared with the source
What the desk checked (5)
- Rain is likely in at least 19 states and Union territories on September 23. — Attributed to IMD; the source also lists 19 named states/UTs, internally consistent.
- Heavy to very heavy rain likely in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh. — Attributed to IMD; figure/wording appears in source.
- Winds of 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph over Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh; 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph over the Bay of Bengal. — Attributed to IMD; numbers appear in source.
- Delhi to stay mainly clear with maximum 34-36°C and minimum 23-25°C. — Attributed to IMD; figures appear in source.
- Monsoon withdrawal is progressing from parts of Rajasthan, with dry weather forecast. — Attributed to the weather department; no specific date or percentage given.
Analysts’ view opinion
This is a weather story, but its political stakes are easy to read. With heavy to very heavy rain forecast for Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh, and gusts of up to 70 kmph along the coast, the pre-emptive response of those state governments and district administrations becomes the political test. Since the story also flags a developing Bay of Bengal system and school closures in Odisha, disaster-management competence is directly tied to governmental reputation — and Centre-state coordination and relief demands typically follow in the next phase.
- In the four states under heavy-rain warning, visible pre-emptive steps — evacuations, relief shelters, school holidays — will shape immediate public perception.
- The story notes schools have been shut in Odisha, a classic administrative signal that a government is erring on the side of caution.
- Coastal districts, fishing communities and farm belts appear most exposed, which makes crop loss and compensation a politically sensitive follow-on issue.
- Forecasts of intensifying rain in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the following days add further pressure on administrations there.
- A competent response usually accrues credit to the incumbent, while visible gaps hand the opposition a ready-made line of attack — a recurring pattern in Indian politics.
What to watch — Watch how quickly chief-minister-level reviews, evacuation announcements and Centre-state coordination messaging emerge in the four heavy-rain states.
This story is only a forecast; it does not establish what any government has actually done, what damage has occurred, or that any political actor has reacted.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 8 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rain across at least 19 states and Union territories on Wednesday, September 23, with the heaviest activity over eastern, central and southern India. The forecast comes as a Bay of Bengal weather system — flagged in IMD warnings about a deep depression and a possible cyclone named 'Arnab' — nears the coast, prompting strong wind warnings for Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh and the closure of schools in Odisha. At the same time, north-west India is largely dry, with the south-west monsoon's withdrawal progressing from parts of Rajasthan.
Key facts
- IMD forecast rain in at least 19 states and Union territories on Wednesday, September 23.
- Heavy to very heavy rain likely in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh, with very heavy rain possible at some places.
- Winds of 50-60 kmph gusting up to 70 kmph expected over Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh on September 23.
- Over the Bay of Bengal, winds of 55-65 kmph with gusts up to 75 kmph are expected on Wednesday.
- Delhi to remain mainly clear: maximum temperature 34-36°C, minimum 23-25°C, near normal at most places.
- Delhi to see north-easterly winds around 12 kmph in the morning, 15 kmph in the afternoon and up to 20 kmph in the evening and night.
- Eastern Uttar Pradesh: rain at many places September 25-27; heavy rain at some places on September 25 and very heavy rain on September 26; western UP heavy rain on September 26 and 27.
- Bihar: heavy rain at different places on September 23; rain at many places September 24-27, with very heavy rain likely at some places on September 24 and 25.
Timeline
- September 23 (Wednesday)Rain in at least 19 states/UTs; heavy to very heavy rain in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh; strong winds over Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh and the Bay of Bengal. Delhi mainly clear; Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh dry.
- September 24Rain may begin in some parts of Himachal Pradesh; Bihar rain at many places with very heavy rain at some places.
- September 24-25 (next two days)Conditions favourable for south-west monsoon withdrawal from some other parts of Rajasthan.
- September 25Heavy rain at some places in eastern Uttar Pradesh; very heavy rain likely at some places in Bihar.
- September 25-27Rain at many places in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
- September 25-28Chance of rain at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh.
- September 26Very heavy rain expected in eastern Uttar Pradesh; heavy rain in western UP; heavy rain in some areas of Bihar.
- September 27Heavy rain possible in western Uttar Pradesh and in some areas of Bihar.
Who has a stake
- India Meteorological Department (IMD) — Issues the rain, wind and landfall forecasts and warnings on which state response is based.
- Odisha government and residents — Face heavy to very heavy rain and winds up to 70 kmph; schools in the state have been shut.
- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh — Forecast for heavy to very heavy rain, with strong winds along coastal Andhra Pradesh.
- Fishermen and shipping in the Bay of Bengal — Winds of 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph make sea conditions hazardous.
- Bihar and Uttar Pradesh residents and farmers — Intensifying rain spells from September 23 to 27, including very heavy rain days, during the harvest-sensitive period.
- Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh — Largely dry weather; Rajasthan is seeing progressive withdrawal of the south-west monsoon.
- Delhi residents — Mainly clear skies with near-normal temperatures of 34-36°C maximum and 23-25°C minimum.
Why it matters
A single Bay of Bengal system is driving heavy rain and gale-force winds across the eastern seaboard even as the monsoon begins withdrawing from the north-west, showing how unevenly late-September weather plays out across India. Accurate wind and rainfall warnings determine school closures, fishing bans and disaster preparedness in Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh, while forecast heavy to very heavy spells in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh in late September can hit standing kharif crops and cause urban flooding.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- IMD forecast rain in at least 19 states and UTs on September 23, with heavy to very heavy rain in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh.
- Wind warning: 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph over Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh; 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph over the Bay of Bengal.
- IMD warned of a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal with a possible cyclone named 'Arnab'; Odisha shut schools.
- Delhi on September 23: mainly clear, maximum 34-36°C, minimum 23-25°C, north-easterly winds up to 20 kmph at night.
- South-west monsoon withdrawal is progressing from parts of Rajasthan, with conditions favourable for further withdrawal over the next two days.
- Eastern Uttar Pradesh: very heavy rain forecast on September 26; Bihar: very heavy rain at some places on September 24 and 25.
Mains framing
Late-September weather in India is shaped by two simultaneous processes: the withdrawal of the south-west monsoon from the north-west, visible in dry conditions over Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, and the formation of low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal that push heavy rain and strong winds into the eastern and central belt. The IMD's September 23 outlook illustrates this contrast — rain in at least 19 states and UTs, heavy to very heavy rain over Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh, winds of 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph along the Odisha-coastal Andhra stretch and 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph at sea, while Delhi stays mainly clear at 34-36°C. The implications are concrete: coastal states must manage fisheries safety, evacuation readiness and precautionary school closures (as Odisha has done), while Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh face successive heavy to very heavy rain days between September 24 and 27 that threaten standing crops and low-lying settlements. The way forward, on the evidence of the source, lies in acting on IMD's graded district-level warnings and seven-day forecasts — timed advisories for fishermen, pre-positioned response teams and calibrated school and transport decisions — rather than reacting after landfall. Beyond this, the source does not state any specific policy measures.
Key terms
- India Meteorological Department (IMD)
- The national weather forecasting agency that issued the September 23 rain, wind and cyclone-related warnings cited in the story.
- Deep depression
- An intensifying low-pressure system over the sea; IMD warned of one over the Bay of Bengal that could develop further.
- Cyclone 'Arnab'
- The name for the potential cyclone from the Bay of Bengal system that IMD flagged as a threat to coastal states.
- Gust
- A short burst of wind above the prevailing speed — here up to 70 kmph over land and 75 kmph over the Bay of Bengal.
- Monsoon withdrawal
- The retreat of the south-west monsoon, currently progressing from parts of Rajasthan with more withdrawal expected in two days.
- Heavy to very heavy rain
- IMD rainfall intensity categories used in its warnings, forecast here for Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh.
Practice questions
- Discuss how low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal influence late-monsoon rainfall over eastern and central India, using the IMD's September 23 forecast as an illustration.
- Examine the disaster-preparedness implications of IMD wind warnings of 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph for coastal states such as Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
- Why does the withdrawal of the south-west monsoon from north-west India often coincide with heavy rain spells over the eastern and peninsular regions? Explain with reference to the forecast discussed.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.