The rainfall in July this year has been unique in multiple ways. This is the first time since 2005 when the country’s July rainfall ended with 17 per cent surplus. With 42 per cent surplus rain, July this year was central India’s wettest since 1992.
In stark contrast, east and northeast India witnessed 44 per cent rainfall deficit, making it the driest July in 102 years, said IMD officials.
Such vast rainfall variation was attributed to the prolonged stay of the monsoon trough to the south of its normal position and the formation of four low-pressure systems resulting in a total of 21 low-pressure days against a normal of three low-pressure systems and 14 associated days in July.
A fresh bout of rain drenched Delhi on Wednesday, providing respite from the sultry weather. Several parts of the capital, including east and south Delhi, reported light rain.
Weather forecasters have said rains are likely to pick up in Delhi for two to three days with the monsoon trough moving down from the foothills of the Himalayas.
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with an Express account.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light to moderate rain in the capital over the next three days. (PTI)
Threat of a flood loomed large in northern districts of Bihar on Wednesday with many rivers in the region flowing above danger levels, the water resources department said.
Heavy rainfall in Nepal and some parts of the state situated along the border has caused a rise in water levels of Kosi, Kamala Balan and Bagmati rivers over the past few days, it said.
The three rivers were flowing well above their danger marks in districts such as Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Supaul, Madhubani, Khagaria and Purnea. (PTI)
Landslides and flash floods in Kerala triggered by heavy rains killed 18 people in the last few days, damaged hundreds of properties and displaced thousands to relief camps, the state government said on Wednesday.
While the Kerala State Emergency Operations Centre (KSEOC) pegged the number of deaths in the state on Wednesday at three and the total, since July 31, as 15, district EOCs of Thrissur and Kottayam additionally reported one and two deaths, respectively, later in the evening.
The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said 5,168 people have been relocated from disaster-hit and disaster-prone areas of the state to 178 relief camps. In a statement, it said 198 properties in the state were partially damaged and 30 houses completely destroyed in the rains from July 31 to till date. (PTI)
The Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the State government would take care of education of children who lost their parents and relatives in a landslide in Muttalli village in Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district.
“We have given relief amount to the next of kin of four people who were killed in house collapse. The government will take care of the education of the children, be it hostel fees or education fees. If they don't have a house, I have told the deputy commissioner to build a house for them,” Bommai told reporters after inspecting the spot where four members of a family were buried alive under the house which collapsed following landslide in a nearby hillock on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister said Muttalli and surrounding places in Bhatkal town witnessed so much of rains, which had never occurred in the past. (PTI)
Srinagar recorded the highest rainfall for the months of June and July in 122 years with the city receiving 107 per cent more precipitation than average, a private weather forecaster said on Wednesday.
"It was the wettest 61-day period in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, since at least 1901," Faizan Arif, who operates 'Kashmir Weather' on Twitter, said.
He said the observatory located at Ram Munshi Bagh in Srinagar recorded a total rainfall of 230.0 mm in the first two monsoon months against an average rainfall of 110.9 mm, which is 107 per cent above average. (PTI)
Tamil Nadu has received 242.9-mm rainfall during the SouthWest monsoon, which is over 94 per cent more than the average rainfall, State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K K S S R Ramachandran said on Wednesday.
With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting heavy rains this week, the State administration has taken precautionary measures for rescue and relief operation, he said.
“During this SouthWest monsoon, the State received 242.9 mm rainfall from June 1 to August 2. This is 94 per cent in excess of the average rainfall,” the Minister said. During the last 24 hours, 32 districts of the State got an average rainfall of 5.48 mm. (PTI)
A total of 178 relief camps have been opened in the state following heavy rains and around 5,168 people were shifted to these places.
Thrissur has seen the largest number of displaced people. Here, 1,451 people have been shifted in 37 camps.
Meanwhile, the District Collector has declared a holiday on August 4 for all educational institutions including professional colleges and Anganwadis in Alappuzha.
Central Water Commission director Sanjiv Kumar Suman Wednesday said that the Ganga river is currently flowing below the danger level.
“Rivers in the northern-Bihar region are flowing above danger mark. Nepal has not received much rainfall. If it does, the situation can become alarming,” news agency ANI quoted Suman as saying.
The Centre has released Rs 648.80 crore in 2022-23 as disaster assistance to Assam where 197 people have lost their lives due to floods and landslides this year.
Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in Rajya Sabha that during the south-west monsoon of 2022, floods and landslides reported to have caused extensive damage in various districts in Assam.
Rai said the central government, without waiting for the memorandum from the Assam government, has constituted an Inter Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) on May 19, 2022 for on the spot assessment of damage caused by the deluge. The IMCT visited Assam from May 26 to May 29 and for the second time from June 30 to July 3. (PTI)
Red alert was withdrawn from Kerala and Orange alert issued in 11 districts of the state by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday, indicating a probable decrease in the intensity of the rains hitting the southern state.
The IMD at 12 PM withdrew the Red alert from the state and issued Orange alert for the day in all the districts barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasaragod where Yellow alerts have been issued.
The Red alert issued in the state for August 4 was withdrawn while Orange alert was being issued in 12 districts for Thursday, according to an IMD district rainfall forecast issued for Kerala at 10 AM.
At 10 AM on Wednesday, IMD had declared Red alert in the districts of Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam for the day and Orange alert in the remaining districts. ---PTI
Heavy rains drenched several places in Rajasthan in the last 24 hours with Mount Abu in Sirohi district recording 134 mm rainfall, the Meteorological (MeT) department said on Wednesday.
The MeT office has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in many parts of the state in the next 24 hours.
Mount Abu received 134 mm of rainfall followed by 120 mm in Anond of Pratapgarh, 70 mm each in Dungarpur's Nithua and Nagaur's Didwana, 60 mm in Bhilwara's Mandal and Sikar's Fatehgarh. State capital Jaipur recorded 60 mm of rain during this period. According to the MeT department, the second spell of heavy rains in the state will start from Wednesday. ---PTI
After a brief gap, Delhi on Wednesday received light rainfall in several parts, including east and south Delhi. Weather forecasters have said rains are likely to pick up in Delhi for two to three days with the monsoon trough moving down from the foothills of the Himalayas. ---PTI
As many as 11 people, including children, have been killed in several rain-related accidents across Karnataka in a month even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for the districts of the coastal region of the state forecasting ‘heavy to very heavy rain’ till August 5.
Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority commissioner Manoj Rajan said nine people have died in the landslides in the state’s Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts. “Five people have died in Dakshina Kannada and four people have died in Uttara Kannada this season (June 1-August 2),” said Rajan. Read more
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for a few districts along the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu over the next couple of days. According to a release, isolated heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rainfall at one or two places is likely to occur over Theni, Dindigul, Thirupur and Coimbatore districts on Wednesday, and Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts on Thursday. Read more
Mumbaikars woke up to a rainy morning on Wednesday as showers made a comeback in the metropolis after a gap of around a fortnight.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted partially cloudy sky with the possibility of light rain or thundershowers in the city and its suburbs in the next 24 hours, a civic official said.
Heavy rains had pounded the city in the first half of July, although the latter part of the month mostly remained dry, due to which the temperature and humidity had gone up. But Wednesday's showers brought the mercury levels down and turned the weather pleasant.
Since Tuesday midnight, parts of the city had been getting drizzles with occasional spells of moderate to heavy rains. The island city, eastern suburbs and western suburbs recorded rainfall of 17.22 mm, 6.37 mm, 3.56 mm rainfall, respectively, in the last 24 hours, the civic officials said. ---PTI
After a brief gap, rains are likely to pick up in Delhi for two to three days with the monsoon trough moving down from the foothills of the Himalayas, weather forecasters have said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a generally cloudy sky on Wednesday and light to moderate rain in the capital over the next three days.
The monsoon trough started moving down from the foothills of the Himalayas towards central India on Tuesday. Delhi will get rains when the trough will pass over it, said Mahesh Palawat, vice president (meteorology and climate change), Skymet Weather.
The precipitation in Delhi will reduce after this spell for around a week, he said. ---PTI
As rains continued in Kerala, state Revenue Minister K Rajan on Wednesday said that people should strictly avoid going to areas which are inundated or flooded as part of a growing trend of "flood tourism" and warned that police would be used to remove such persons.
Rajan said there is a growing trend among people to visit areas which are flooded and try to enter the waters there or catch fish and the same should be avoided as it creates an additional burden on the authorities carrying out relief and rescue operations.
He gave the example of an elephant being stranded for hours in the Chalakudy river on Tuesday morning, news reports of which led to a large number of people arriving at that place and creating a problem for the local authorities.
"Such activities in flooded areas would not be permitted at all and if necessary, police assistance would be sought to remove such persons," he said. ---PTI
With the Met department predicting heavy-to-extremely heavy rainfall in most parts of Kerala, the state government Tuesday sounded a red alert in eight out of 14 districts for next three days. Elsewhere in Kerala, heavy-to-very heavy rain has been predicted on these days. Read more
WITH THE Southwest Monsoon entering an active phase, Maharashtra will experience heavy rain from August 4 to 6, the India Meteorological Department in Pune said on Tuesday.
Pune city and neighbourhood areas will experience intense but short rainfall spells accompanied by lightning and thunder, mainly during afternoon hours, for the next three days. However, ghat areas of Pune may witness heavy rainfall during the same period, the IMD has warned. Read more
Rajasthan received 270 mm of rainfall in July, the highest precipitation for the month in nearly seven decades, according to official data.
The meteorological department has predicted a fresh round of rains starting this week. (PTI) Read More
With the Met department predicting heavy-to-extremely heavy rainfall in most parts of Kerala, the state government Tuesday sounded a red alert in eight out of 14 districts for next three days. Elsewhere in Kerala, heavy-to-very heavy rain has been predicted on these days.
Red alert has been declared in central and north Kerala districts, which have already been battered by incessant rain since Sunday. Official reports quoted 12 deaths in the latest bout of heavy monsoon rain since Sunday; three of them in landslides in Kannur, Kottayam and Idukki districts. Two fishermen have been reported missing at Chavakkad in Thrissur. Read More
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert for Bengaluru urban areas, saying the region might receive heavy rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday.
With Bengaluru witnessing heavy showers on Monday evening, and rain continuing till midnight, several parts of the city were inundated and authorities faced complaints related to water entering homes and power outages. Read More
Vehicular traffic on the historic Mughal Road in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir was suspended on Tuesday after it was hit by a massive landslide, officials said.
The road, which connects Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu region with south Kashmir's Shopian, is an alternative road to the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The Mughal Road was blocked due to landslide triggered by heavy rains in Poshana area, thereby bringing the traffic to halt, they said. The clearance of the road is in process, they said.
Commuters are requested to know the status of Mughal Road from traffic units in Jammu and Srinagar before planning any journey, they said. Several hundred vehicles are stranded on this road due to the blockade. (PTI)
Tonk district in Rajasthan recorded the highest 9 cm rainfall in a 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Tuesday, officials said.
Another spell of heavy rains is expected in the state from Wednesday, the weather department said.
According to officials, Bharatpur's Bayana recorded 4 cm rainfall, while Malakheda (Alwar), Kaman (Bharatpur), Lalsot (Dausa), Dantaramgarh (Sikar), Nainwan (Bundi) and Churu recorded 3 cm of rains each, according to MeT department. Several other places also recorded rainfall below 3 cm, they added. (PTI)
The Kerala government on Tuesday said the state Film Awards ceremony, scheduled to be held here on August 3, has been postponed in the wake of heavy rains lashing the state and the sounding of Red Alert warning issued in the district.
The award ceremony was scheduled to be held at the Nishagandhi open auditorium in the capital city. Cultural Affairs Minister V N Vasavan said the new date would be announced later.
Various districts of the southern state have been witnessing incessant rains for the last two days and the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued red alert in 10 districts for Tuesday. (PTI)
A wild elephant was found stranded in the middle of Chalakudy river for several hours in this district on Tuesday after heavy rainfall in the area during the night raised its water level by nearly 5 metres.
After several hours of valiant attempts, the elephant managed to get close to the safety of the forest on the other side.
Forest officials monitoring the situation told media that the tusker will now be able to move into the forest safely as the water currents close to the forest were comparatively slower. The tusker was stranded in the middle of the river on a small piece of land for several hours, as the river raged around the animal which has stymied rescue attempts by fire force and forest officials who are gathered at the spot close to the Athirappilly water falls. Subsequently, during its attempts to cross the river, the tusker got swept several meters downstream and managed to hang on to a broken tree in the middle of the river. (PTI)
Elephant stuck in Pillaipara, Athirapally amidst heavy rainfall in Kerala
The minimum temperature in Delhi settled at 25.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday as the weather office forecast generally cloudy sky with light rain later in the day.
The city recorded a relative humidity of 84 per cent at 8.30 am, according to the data shared by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The minimum temperature on Monday was recorded at 25.6 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature was recorded at 33.6 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal.
The minimum temperature in the national capital on Tuesday was recorded at 25.8 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal. (PTI)
As incessant rains continue to lash Kerala with reports of landslides and rising river water levels in some parts of the state, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued Red alert in 10 districts of the southern state for Tuesday. IMD also issued a Red alert in the same 10 districts for August 3 also.
The Red alert is issued in all the districts of Kerala barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Kasaragod, where Orange alerts have been issued for August 2 and 3, according to an IMD district rainfall forecast issued for Kerala at 10 AM on Tuesday.
The department also warned of widespread and isolated heavy and very heavy rainfall in the state till August 5. (PTI)
With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting heavy rains in certain districts in Tamil Nadu in the next four days, the state government on Monday said four National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been rushed to Kanyakumari and the Nilgiris district to assist the district administrations.
The administration in the districts set to receive heavy rains have been told to take up all precautionary measures including launching rescue and relief operations.
State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K K S S R Ramachandran directed the officials to remain alert and promptly respond to any emergencies. Chief Minister M K Stalin has directed the officials to prevent damages to property and loss of human lives due to rain, he said. (PTI)
Heavy rain pounded Bhubaneswar amid thunderclaps on Monday, the MeT Department said.
The Odisha capital experienced 52.6 mm of rain between 8.30 AM and 5.30 PM, mostly in the afternoon as the dark clouds enveloped the city. Other parts of Odisha also received rain during the period. Jagatsinghpur recorded 20 mm of rain, Nayagarh 16 mm and Koraput 15 mm, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said.
The maximum temperature is expected to be above normal by 3-4 degrees Celsius at many places across the state during the next 24 hours. It is likely to fall by 2-3 notches subsequently, it added. (PTI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said despite less rains in the state, the situation was under control, and assured farmers that they will not be allowed to incur losses.
The chief minister, who reviewed the sowing of crops and rainfall, directed officials of all districts to monitor the situation round the clock. He stressed on paying special focus on 15 districts that have had a major impact on agriculture due to less rainfall.
Adityanath directed the agriculture, irrigation, revenue, relief and related departments to stay in alert mode, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement.
The state has recorded 191.8 mm rain till July end as compared to 353.65 mm in 2021 and 349.85 mm in 2020 for the corresponding period. Agra is the only district which has seen above normal rainfall (120 per cent). (PTI)