Heavy rain may mar Janmashtami preparations in Ahmedabad

If you are making last minute shopping plans for the upcoming Janmashtami festival, this weekend you may have to alter your agenda as heavy rainfall has been forecasted. After a week-long respite from rain, Gujarat and the city have been warned by the weather office to gear up to face a new round of heavy rainfall starting from August 28. 

The state weather office has again issued a heavy rainfall warning, on Wednesday. The monsoon mechanism is again becoming vigorous over south Gujarat which is forecasted to get heavy rains during next two days. The sate will get its dose after that.

Heavy rains are likely to hit the state and city this weekend. Gujarat has already received 34% more than its normal quota till August 26 -- 712.8 mm rainfall as against the normal 531.2 mm.

"In view of the formation of low pressure area over Bay of Bengal and adjoining Andhra coast, the offshore trough along the west coast has become active," said Dr. Kamaljit Ray of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). "Due to above systems, rainfall activity will increase in Gujarat state in the next 4 to 5 days. Heavy rains are expected over south Gujarat and some parts of Saurashtra during the next 48 hours and thereafter, over the entire state," Ray added.