New Delhi: The Southwest Monsoon has picked up serious momentum across the country once again. According to the latest update from the India Meteorological
Department (IMD) as many as 20 states are on heavy rainfall alert for Saturday, 22 August 2026. Monsoon activity has intensified over northern, central and northeastern belts, bringing intense showers accompanied by lightning and gusty winds.
For students and parents keeping an eye out for potential school closures, local authorities in key affected districts are closely monitoring the situation. While no blanket statewide school holidays have been declared as of Saturday morning, district magistrates in vulnerable hill regions and low-lying urban sectors may call for localised shutdowns if rain triggers severe waterlogging or travel risks.
In Northern India, Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Punjab are set to witness heavy spells at isolated places. Hilly states remain on high watch with Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand expected to receive steady downpours. The weather agency indicated that Uttarakhand in particular could face persistent wet weather stretching well into next week.
Central and Eastern India spell
Moving into central regions, East Madhya Pradesh faces an alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall while West Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are also lined up for strong monsoon activity. Towards the east, states including Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal will likely see active showers paired with lightning and gusty winds through the day.
Northeastern belt and southern coast
The northeastern states Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura will remain under a heavy downpour watch. Down south while inland regions will see lighter activity, strong surface winds and scattered thunder spells are likely across coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and parts of interior Karnataka. Travellers and daily commuters are advised to check local transport advisories before stepping out during peak rain hours.
