Surat and several other parts of Gujarat were battered by relentless heavy rainfall on Sunday, resulting in severe waterlogging that brought traffic to a standstill and disrupted daily life. Roads in Surat were inundated, forcing vehicles to wade through deep water and causing major slowdowns across the city.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Surat, warning of very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and squalls. A red alert was also declared for several other districts including Ahmedabad, Surendranagar, Morbi, Jamnagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Porbandar, Rajkot, Sabarkantha, and Banaskantha, all of which are bracing for extremely heavy rain and gusty winds up to 40 km/h.
The situation worsened as the Purna River’s water level rose sharply following incessant downpours in Navsari and nearby areas. Banaskantha’s Tharad region emerged among the worst affected, with severe flooding reported.
Authorities have urged residents across affected districts to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. Additionally, a yellow alert is in place predicting extreme heavy rainfall for the next seven days across parts of Gujarat, Saurashtra, and Kutch.
The IMD forecast also highlights significant risks for South Konkan, Goa, and the Ghat regions of Maharashtra, where extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 21 cm is expected on July 4 and again between July 6 and 7 due to a strong offshore trough and moisture influx from the Arabian Sea.