Heavy rain alert: Two giant monsoon systems to collide over India. See pics

A monsoon circulation over the Tibetan Plateau is interacting with a deep depression from the Bay of Bengal. The alignment is expected to widen heavy rain and thunderstorm activity while raising flood risks in vulnerable areas.The interaction between these two large-scale systems is helping strengthen the southwest monsoon. (Photo: Windy)India's monsoon is entering one of its most active phases of the season as two massive weather systems begin interacting over the subcontinent, creating conditions for widespread thunderstorms and heavy rainfall across large parts of the country this week.Satellite imagery on Monday showed a gigantic monsoon circulation over the Tibetan Plateau while a deep depression, which evolved from a low-pressure system (LPS) over the Bay of Bengal, continued moving inland after crossing the West Bengal-North Odisha coast.Meteorologists say the interaction between these two large-scale systems is helping strengthen the southwest monsoon and expand rainfall activity across eastern, central, northern and southern India. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the deep depression is expected to continue moving north-northwestwards, carrying enormous amounts of moisture from the Bay of Bengal deep into the Indian mainland.As the system advances inland, it is interacting with an active monsoon trough stretching across northern India. This combination is creating favourable conditions for intense cloud formation and widespread thunderstorms. Rainfall activity has already intensified over eastern India and is expected to gradually spread westward and northward over the coming days.According to the IMD, Tuesday will witness another day of widespread monsoon activity, with heavy to very heavy rainfall likely across parts of Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.The enhanced monsoon circulation is also expected to trigger thunderstorms over several parts of peninsular India, including Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala, while rain activity is forecast to remain active along the west coast.Weather experts explain that the massive circulation over the Tibetan Plateau plays an important role in strengthening the upper-level monsoon flow.At the same time, the Bay of Bengal depression acts as a powerful moisture pump, drawing warm, humid air inland. When these systems align, they reinforce each other, increasing atmospheric instability and enhancing rainfall over a vast region.The interaction has already led to clusters of thunderstorms developing across east, north, central and south India, with more widespread rain expected through the week.The IMD has advised residents in flood-prone and low-lying areas to remain alert as persistent rainfall could lead to waterlogging, localised flooding and landslides, particularly over the Himalayan states and parts of central India.With one powerful circulation feeding moisture from the Bay of Bengal and another dominating the Tibetan Plateau, forecasters say the coming days could mark one of the most widespread and intense monsoon spells of the season, bringing relief to rain-deficient regions while also increasing the risk of weather-related disruptions.- EndsPublished On: Jul 28, 2026 07:00 IST