IMD issues red alert for heavy rain, thunderstorm in Punjab New Delhi [India], September 1 (ANI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued [India] red nowcast warning for heavy rainfall exceeding 15 mm per hour, along with thunderstorms, in several parts of Punjab. Districts under this warning include Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, and Patiala. The warning is valid until 8:30 AM on Monday. An Orange nowcast warning has also been issued for nearby areas, indicating moderate rainfall (5-15 mm/hr) with thunderstorm activity. In a post on X, IMD shared, "Red Nowcast Warning: Heavy spells (>;15mm/hr) accompanined with thunderstorm. Orange Nowcast warning: Moderate Spells (5-15 mm/hr) accompanied with thunderstorms." "Districts under rednowcast warnings (Valid upto 0830 Hrs IST of today) are Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Patiala," the post read. A day earlier, the Border Security Force (BSF) reached out to flood-affected families in several villages of Punjab''s Ferozepur to supply essential relief material, including drinking water, a release said. This collaboration with local volunteers highlights the spirit of solidarity and community support in Ferozepur. Together, they bring hope and much-needed relief to the affected villages, ensuring no one is left behind in this crisis, the release added. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately release Rs 60,000 crore in pending funds for the state. citing the grave flood situation that has devastated large parts of the state. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Mann described the disaster as the "most severe natural calamity in decades", which has already affected nearly 1,000 villages and lakhs of people. The Chief Minister said that heavy rainfall and water released from dams have worsened the situation in Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Pathankot, Ferozepur, Fazilka, and Hoshiarpur districts. He warned that the crisis could deepen further in the coming days. According to his assessment, around three lakh acres of agricultural land, mostly under paddy cultivation, have been submerged. The loss of crops before harvest, combined with livestock deaths, has left rural families, who depend on farming and dairy, reeling under immense distress. (ANI)