The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a fresh nowcast warning for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and adjoining areas, forecasting moderate to intense spells of rainfall over the next few hours as the southwest monsoon remains active across coastal Maharashtra.

According to the weather department, Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad are likely to experience heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and strong gusty winds. The IMD has also maintained a Red Alert for parts of the region, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated places expected to receive extremely heavy showers.

Authorities have cautioned that the prevailing weather conditions could lead to waterlogging, flooding and traffic congestion, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone areas. Residents have been advised to remain alert and avoid unnecessary travel during periods of intense rainfall.

Continuous rain has already affected road transport, while train services and flight operations have also been impacted due to poor visibility and adverse weather conditions. Civic authorities are clearing blocked drains and removing fallen trees to minimise the impact of the heavy rainfall.

Officials have urged people to stay indoors unless travel is absolutely necessary. Citizens have also been advised to avoid waterlogged roads, overflowing drains and coastal areas, while keeping track of weather updates issued by the IMD and local authorities.

With widespread rainfall expected to continue across the region, authorities have appealed to residents to remain cautious, follow official advisories and cooperate with emergency services until weather conditions improve.

A nowcast warning is a short-term weather forecast, generally valid for the next two to three hours. It is issued to alert the public about imminent weather events such as heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning or hailstorms, enabling both authorities and citizens to take timely precautions and minimise weather-related risks.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday reviewed the country’s preparedness for possible drought conditions arising from below-normal rainfall and directed all concerned ministries to remain vigilant as the southwest monsoon continues to record a significant rainfall deficit.

During a review meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and senior government officials, Shah said the Centre is continuously monitoring the evolving situation linked to weak monsoon conditions and the potential impact of El Nino in several parts of the country.

Ministries told to coordinate with states

According to an official statement, the home minister instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and other concerned departments to work closely with state governments and provide farmers with guidance on crops suitable for sowing under below-normal rainfall conditions.

He also directed the Department of Water Resources to closely monitor water levels in reservoirs across the country and stressed the importance of promoting alternative crops that require less water, including fodder, millets and pulses.

Shah further instructed the Union Ministry of Power to ensure an uninterrupted and adequate electricity supply to meet any emerging challenges during the season.

Officials informed the meeting that sufficient stocks of essential food grains are available across the country and that the prices of essential commodities remain stable.

June records sharp rainfall deficit

India witnessed an overall rainfall deficit of nearly 40 per cent during June, with Central India recording the largest shortfall of 50.4 per cent. The country received only 99.5 mm of rainfall during the month, making it the fifth-lowest June rainfall since 1901.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also forecast below-normal rainfall across the country during July, raising concerns over water availability and agricultural activity.

Senior officials from the ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Power, Science and Technology, along with the Union Home Secretary and Agriculture Secretary, attended the review meeting.

Central teams to assess flood damage in Northeast

Apart from reviewing drought preparedness, Shah directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to send an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to assess damage caused by recent heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides.

The assessment will examine losses to infrastructure, agriculture and residential areas after flooding affected several districts in Assam while landslides disrupted transport and damaged infrastructure in parts of Arunachal Pradesh.

El Nino expected to strengthen during monsoon

Officials informed the meeting that El Nino conditions are currently prevailing over the equatorial Pacific Ocean and are likely to strengthen further during the June-September monsoon season.

El Nino is one of the three phases of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a climate pattern driven by changes in sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. It is generally associated with weaker monsoon rainfall over India and higher global temperatures.

The opposite phase, La Nina, typically supports better monsoon rainfall and has a cooling influence, while ENSO also has a neutral phase. Current Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions remain neutral, limiting their ability to offset the adverse effects of El Nino on India’s monsoon.

Ayodhya Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Mandir has estimated that between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 8 lakh may have been diverted every day before the suspected fraud was uncovered.

According to information gathered during the investigation, officials associated with the bank handling the temple’s donations informed the SIT that the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust previously received around Rs 16-18 lakh in daily cash donations. After the alleged irregularities surfaced, the daily collections reportedly increased to Rs 24-26 lakh, leading investigators to suspect that a substantial portion of donations had been siphoned off earlier.

Cash counting process under investigation

The SIT is examining the mechanism used for counting donations at the temple. Cash offered by devotees is collected from four donation boxes, with the counting process supervised by State Bank of India (SBI) through a private agency.

A 14-member team carries out the counting, comprising 11 bank personnel and three representatives of the temple trust. Investigators are now reviewing whether established procedures were followed and whether any lapses enabled the alleged diversion of funds.

Police are also preparing to approach the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate the financial trail and related monetary transactions in greater detail.

Role of former bank employee

Retired bank employee Subhash Srivastava, who allegedly supervised the counting process, remains a key accused in the case. Investigators say his responsibilities included transporting cash from the donation boxes to the counting room before handing it over to the bank.

According to sources cited during the investigation, the theft was first reported in February when a member of the counting team allegedly informed Srivastava that cash was being stolen during counting. He is accused of responding that “God is watching,” suggesting that the matter did not require immediate concern.

Police have so far arrested eight accused, including Srivastava, Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Tinnu Yadav, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Ramashankar Mishra.

Investigators have also noted that jewellery donations were allegedly not maintained under a systematic record, making them vulnerable to theft.

Bank officials questioned over procedures

The SIT questioned bank employees involved in the donation counting process and sought explanations regarding alleged deviations from the agreement between the trust and the bank.

Officials were asked why prescribed procedures were reportedly altered, why suspected irregularities were not escalated to senior authorities, and why a private security agency entrusted with security-related responsibilities was allegedly allowed to participate in cash counting.

The SIT is expected to assess the role of bank personnel in its final report, after which further action may be considered.

Money allegedly shared near temple

During interrogation, accused Avinash Shukla allegedly told investigators that the stolen cash was divided among the accused at a park near Bhikapur on the 14 Koshi Parikrama route. Police visited the location as part of the ongoing investigation.

Trust officials questioned again

The SIT also questioned Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustees Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao for a second time.

According to the information provided, all three have resigned from their trust posts following the emergence of the allegations.

Investigators sought details of their movable and immovable assets, income sources and supporting property documents. The probe is also examining allegations related to commissions during temple construction and land purchases, along with claims that certain individuals received undue benefits.

Officials have additionally sought information regarding the reported increase in the assets of Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao in recent years, including details related to Anil Mishra’s new residence and financial resources.

As part of the wider investigation, the SIT has called for the trust’s annual audit reports, financial records and other key documents. According to sources, investigators are also considering a fresh audit of the trust’s financial records.