Intense rainfall lashed parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on Saturday morning, prompting the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Lucknow Centre to issue a flash flood warning for several districts. The warning covers four districts in eastern UP — Ballia, Ghazipur, Mau, and Deoria — as well as adjoining districts in Bihar: Arwal, Bhabua, Buxar, Rohtas, Saran, and Siwan. “In association with ongoing intense rainfall spell over East UP, persistent low to moderate flash flood threat is likely over a few watersheds of Ballia, Ghazipur, Mau & Deoria,” said experts at the Lucknow centre. The forecast also warned of thunderstorms and lightning, accompanied by wind speeds of 30-40 km/h and moderate to heavy rainfall over parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, including Ballia, Mau, Deoria, Gorakhpur, and Kushinagar, and adjoining areas. Experts said the flash flood warning — particularly for Ballia and surrounding areas — is expected to remain in place for the next 24 hours. Meanwhile, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) observatory in Varanasi recorded the highest rainfall in 125 years for the month of October. As of 5.30 am on Saturday, the BHU observatory recorded 184.8 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, surpassing the previous October record of 138.9 mm, set on October 9, 1900, said experts. In addition to eastern UP, the IMD has predicted moderate rainfall with light thunderstorms, lightning, and wind speeds of 30-40 km/h over 33 districts in central and eastern UP. Affected areas include Mirzapur, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Ballia, Raebareli, Kanpur Nagar, Jhansi, Azamgarh, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Barabanki, among others. On Friday, officials had said heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely across parts of Western and Eastern Uttar Pradesh in the coming days, with peak intensity expected on October 6. “A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect Northwest India from October 4. High moisture feeding is likely from the Arabian Sea as well as the Bay of Bengal to Northwest India at lower tropospheric levels majorly during October 5-7. Due to this system, along with confluence of winds and high moisture, there is possibility of heavy to very heavy precipitation with hailstorm over Northwest India during the same period with peak intensity on October 6,” the MeT department had said.
