Pedestrians hold umbrellas as they walk on a roadside amid rainfall in Kochi, Kerala. (PTI)Monsoon, Weather Updates Today: As heavy rains lashed several parts of Kerala, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued an orange alert in four districts of the state for the day. The IMD at 4 pm issued orange alert for the day in the northern Kerala districts of Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod. It also issued a yellow alert for all the remaining districts except for Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in a 24 hour period, while orange alert means very heavy rains from 6 cm to 20 cm of rain. A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 to 11 cm.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao asked Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to alert all concerned departments to take safety measures amidst heavy rains in the state. Telangana and Maharashtra have been on red alert since Saturday. Rao also said he would review the situation closely and hold a video conference with officials on Sunday. He also urged people to not take risks or step outside during heavy downpours unless there was an emergency.
At least 17 people have died and 44 are injured in the flash flood triggered by a cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. Over three dozen pilgrims are still untraceable, officials said on Sunday. The victims were camping near the Amarnath cave shrine, when the cloudburst occurred around 6 pm Friday. The flash flood washed away a part of the camp.
Rainfall remains on the forecast for Delhi from July 11 to 14. (Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey)
Heavy rains at isolated places in Jhalawar, Dholpur and Kota districts of east Rajasthan was reported in the last 24 hours, a MeT department spokesperson said. Maximum temperature was recorded below normal at most places in the state.
According to the Meteorological Department, till 8.30 am, Jhalawar district recorded highest rainfall in the state at 72 mm, followed by 64 mm in Bikaner city. Basedi, Bikaner, and Chhabra recorded 60 mm of rain whereas Sikar tehsil, Bayana town and Bikaner tehsil recorded 50 mm of rain. Rainfall ranging from 1 cm to 4 cm was recorded at many other places in the state.
According to the department, till 5.30 pm, 71 mm rainfall was recorded in Churu, 29 mm in Bhilwara, 23.5 mm in Dholpur, 17 mm in Banasthali, 13 mm each in Kota and Bikaner, 10 mm in Bundi, 8 mm in Sikar, 6.7mm in Ajmer, 6mm in Chittorgarh, 2 mm in Karauli, 1.4 mm in Dabok (Udaipur) and 1.1 mm in Jaipur. (PTI)
The maximum temperature in the national capital Sunday evening settled at 34.9 degrees Celsius, a notch below average temperature, with a possibility of light rain on Monday, the India Meteorological Department said. It was a pleasant Sunday morning in Delhi with the minimum temperature settling at 27.5 degrees Celsius, it said.
The relative humidity oscillated between 89 per cent and 66 per cent. The weatherman has predicted generally cloudy skies with possibility of very light rain with drizzle on Monday. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle at 35 degrees and 27 degrees Celsius, respectively. On Saturday, the maximum temperature in the city settled at 35.1 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 30.5 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal. (PTI)
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday declared three days of holiday for educational institutions from July 11 in view of heavy rains in the State. Rao reviewed the situation, the measures taken so far and the precautionary steps being taken with Ministers, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and other senior officials at a high-level meeting at Pragathi Bhavan, Rao's official residence complex-cum-camp office, said an official release.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Secretary held a video conference with the Collectors of districts and took stock of the situation. He directed the Collectors to work in close coordination with all departments and see to it no untoward incident takes place. The Chief Secretary said the Collectors should be on high alert and take steps to prevent loss of life, cattle or damage to any property, another official release said. (PTI)
As heavy rains lashed several parts of Kerala, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued an orange alert in four districts of the state for the day. The IMD at 4 pm issued orange alert for the day in the northern Kerala districts of Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.
It also issued a yellow alert for all the remaining districts except for Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in a 24 hour period, while orange alert means very heavy rains from 6 cm to 20 cm of rain. A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 to 11 cm.
The IMD further said widespread rain was likely in the southern state over the next five days with very heavy rains predicted on July 10, 13 and 14. According to the state disaster management authority, between July 3 to 7, six people lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Kerala and several homes were damaged. (PTI)
Heavy rains pounded many parts of south Gujarat, leading to a rise in the water level of some rivers which caused inundation in various low-lying areas, following which over 700 people were shifted to safer places in Navsari and Valsad districts, officials said on Sunday.
There was flooding in some low-lying areas of Valsad after a rise in the Orsang river level. Authorities in Navsari district were also on alert as the Kaveri and Ambika rivers there were flowing above the danger mark, they said. Very heavy rains lashed Valsad and Navsari districts on Saturday night and Sunday morning, the officials said.
Chhota Udepur and Narmada districts also witnessed very heavy rainfall, with rivers overflowing and low-lying areas getting flooded, they said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy showers during the next five days in south Gujarat's districts of Dang, Navsari and Valsad. Several other districts of south Gujarat and Saurashtra are also likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall during this period, the IMD said. (PTI)
India Meteorological Department has predicted a likely intense wet spell to continue over Telangana, Vidarbha and adjoining areas of Coastal Andhra Pradesh and south Chhattisgarh on July 10 and 11. The weather department has also said that a fresh intense wet spell is likely over Gujarat, Konkan and Goa, central Maharashtra and coastal Karnataka from July 12.
With heavy rains lashing Telangana over the last three days, State Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar on Sunday directed the district Collectors to work in close coordination with all the line departments and take all preventive measures and see to it that no untoward incident takes place.
As per the directions of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, the Chief Secretary held a video conference today with the Collectors of all districts and took stock of the situation arising due to heavy rains in the State, an official release said.
The Chief Secretary said that as the state is witnessing heavy rains over the last three days, the Collectors should be on high alert and take all steps to prevent loss of life, cattle or damage to any property. He directed the Collectors to step up vigil by setting up control room in the collectorate. Irrigation, Panchayat Raj, Municipal Administration and Energy departments should ensure that no problems arise due to the incessant rains. (PTI)
Heavy rainfall occurred at isolated places in eastern Rajasthan in a 24-hour period till 8.30 am on Sunday, while thunderstorm accompanied with light to moderate rainfall was recorded at a few places, weather officials said.
According to the meteorological department, Khanpur of Jhalawar, Sarmathura of Dholpur and Mandhana of Kota recorded 7 cm rainfall each.
Basedi, Bikaner and Chabra recorded 6 cm rainfall each, followed by 5 cm each in Sikar tehsil, Bayana town and Bikaner tehsil, the department said.
Several other places recorded 1-4 cm downpour during the period.
The department predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at some places in Baran, Jhalawar and Kota districts on Sunday. (PTI)
A landslide on the third hairpin curve from the Someshwara side on Agumbe Ghat road following heavy rains on Sunday morning disrupted vehicular traffic on the route, official sources said.
The vehicular disruption is on National Highway 169A, connecting Udupi and Shivamogga districts.
The work on clearing the road has been taken up by the Forest department and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) personnel.
Police are diverting the traffic on the ghat section. Vehicles moving from Shivamogga to Udupi are being diverted to the Siddapura route. Vehicles are being stopped at the Agumbe ghat check post and at the Someshwar check post and drivers told to take alternate routes. (PTI)
The water level in the Nethravati river in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada (DK) district has risen to the danger level of 8.5 metre on Sunday.
The water level, which stood at 6.8 metre on Saturday rose considerably in the evening and at Uppinangady, it touched the danger level Sunday morning, official sources said.
All low-lying areas of the river basin in Bantwal have been inundated in the heavy rains lashing the district for the past few days.
The district administration has taken steps to shift people living in the locality to safer places. Areas including Panemangaluru, Kanchikar market, Jakribettu, Kaikunje Bastipadpu are submerged. (PTI)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the state government would tell the Election Commission that it would not be convenient to hold local and municipal polls in the state in the wake of the ongoing rainy season.
The State Election Commission on Friday announced that polls to 92 Nagar Parishads and four Nagar Panchayats in Maharashtra will be held on August 18. Elections will be held for local urban bodies in Pune, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Osmanabad, Latur, Amravati and Buldhana districts.
After Shinde offered prayers at a temple of Lord Vitthal in Pandharpur town in neighbouring Solapur district on the occasion of 'Ashadhi Ekadashi', some reporters asked him about the local and municipal elections due in the state. (PTI)
It was a pleasant Sunday morning in Delhi with the minimum temperature settling at 27.5 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The relative humidity at 8:30 am was recorded at 82 per cent, it said.
The weatherman predicted generally cloudy skies with moderate rain and thundershowers during the day. The maximum temperature is likely to settle at 33 degrees Celsius.
On Saturday, the maximum temperature in the national capital settled at 35.1 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 30.5 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal. (PTI)
Rainfall during Eid prayer at Sector 20 Jama Masjid in Chandigarh.
After the rain fury claimed lives of over 20 people in Ratnagiri in July last year, the district administration has installed a Real-Time Data Acquisition (RTDA) System at various places for effective communication about flooding and landslides, a senior official said.
Ratnagiri is a coastal district in Maharashtra, located over 300 km from the state capital Mumbai, and witnesses heavy rainfall during the monsoon season.
Last year, Chiplun town in Ratnagiri was among the worst-hit by heavy rains. Among the over 20 deceased in the district included eight COVID-19 patients who had died in a hospital after flood waters entered the premises. (PTI)
“There was a deafening noise as the water rushed down. I felt helpless. I closed my eyes and left it to fate,” says Shiv Roshni, a 64-year-old Amarnath pilgrim from Delhi.
On Friday afternoon, Roshni had barely reached the cave shrine after a two-day trek and pony ride when a huge volume of water swept the tents set up for the pilgrims. Breaking down constantly at the Base Hospital in Baltal, the base camp for the Amarnath pilgrims on the Sonamarg-Amarnath axis, she said: “I still shiver when I think about it. There was no hope that I would survive. It was during the night that some policemen came and rescued us. I was then shifted here in a chopper.”
The authorities put the death toll from the flash flood at 17 on Saturday, with 44 injured. Over three dozen pilgrims are still untraceable, officials said. (Read More)
Sudden, “highly-localised rains” in Amarnath, Jammu and Kashmir, on Friday evening (July 8) caused flooding and led to the deaths of at least 16 people and injuries to more than 20 others. Those who died were at a camp near the cave, a site of pilgrimage.
Many politicians tweeted out messages of condolence and mentioned cloudburst-induced floods, as was earlier stated by officials. However, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) later said on July 9 that a cloudburst may not have actually occurred. (Read More)
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday instructed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to alert all departments concerned and take quick safety measures in the wake of incessant rains in the State.
Following a red alert in Telangana and also in Maharashtra, the Chief Minister said he would review the situation from time to time and also hold video conference today (Saturday) or tomorrow (Sunday), an official release said.(PTI)
Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal are expected to receive thunderstorms today while the eastern states of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam shall also receive thunderstorms.
At least 130 villages in three districts of Maharashtra, all in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions, were affected by heavy rains which caused floods in parts of these districts and at least 200 people were evacuated, but fortunately, no casualties are reported, officials said on Saturday.
In the Gadchiroli district in east Maharashtra, communication with 128 villages is lost due to heavy rains.
Apart from Gadchiroli, Hingoli and Nanded districts in the Marathwada region also received heavy showers on Friday and Saturday, the state relief and rehabilitation department said in a bulletin on Saturday.(PTI)
The death toll in the flash flood triggered by heavy rain near the Amarnath cave shrine rose to 16 on Saturday as the search operations continued without a break amid fears that many are still trapped under the debris.
Officials said 15,000 stranded pilgrims were shifted to the lower base camp of Panjtarni and 25 injured people were rushed to hospitals after the flash flood and landslides rummaged through tents and community kitchens on Friday afternoon.
According to an Army official, mountain rescue teams and lookout patrols with high-tech equipment and sniffer dogs have been deployed for the search and rescue operation.
"Air rescue operations started Saturday morning and six pilgrims were evacuated by Army helicopters. The military medical teams are receiving patients and casualties at the Nilagrar helipad for onward evacuation," an official said.
An Mi-17 chopper of the BSF's air wing has been pressed into service. The Jammu and Kashmir administration has also deployed advanced light helicopters for rescue operations.
A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesperson in Delhi said, "Sixteen bodies have been shifted to Baltal." The ITBP has expanded its route opening and protection parties from the lower part of the holy cave up to Panjtarni, a spokesperson of the force said.(PTI)
The intensity of rains in Konkan, ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra and parts of Marathwada will increase over the next four to five days due to a low pressure area over Odisha and a cyclonic circulation spread over 7.6 kilometres, the India Meteorological Department said on Saturday.
In an official statement, the IMD said, "Konkan, ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada will receive heavy rainfall in next 4-5 days. It would be triggered by a low-pressure area over Odisha as well as a cyclonic circulation spread over 7.6 km." "The off-shore trough is spread from Gujarat coast to Karnataka coast. There is an east-west shear zone, which is contributing to the increasing intensity of the showers," the IMD added.(PTI)
Low-lying areas faced inundation while rivulets were in spate at several places in Telangana on Saturday following incessant rains in the last few days.
Navipet in Nizamabad district received 23 cms of rain, the Met Centre of IMD here said.
Rainfall led to water-logging in low-lying areas, while tanks received copious inflows in Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts.
In its Daily Weather Report, the Met Centre said extremely heavy rain was recorded at isolated places in Nizamabad district. Downpour was reported at many places in Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Nizamabad and Rajanna Sircilla districts.
"Southwest monsoon has been vigorous over Telangana," it said.(PTI)
J&K | CRPF personnel carries out rescue operation in cloudburst affected area at the lower Amarnath Cave site, tweeted ANI.
Many areas in Karnataka’s coastal, Malnad and plain regions have witnessed excessive rains in the last three to four days, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said. Since June 1, as many as 12 people have lost their lives. Read more.
Easterly winds and little rainfall even after the monsoon hit Delhi has meant that the humidity levels in the city have been significantly higher over the past week, when compared to the previous one.
At the Safdarjung weather observatory, the average 24-hour maximum humidity recorded from July 1 to 8 was 87%, while the average minimum 24-hour humidity for the same period was 64%. In this period, the maximum humidity has not dropped below 74%, while the minimum humidity has remained above 52% on all days, according to data provided by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
In contrast, the previous week was more comfortable. From June 24 to 30, the average maximum humidity was 70%, while the average minimum humidity was 42%. The humidity earlier in June, when parts of the city were in the midst of a heatwave, was even lower, with the maximum humidity at around 58% on June 5. Read more.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said the deaths and destruction near the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir were due to a highly localised rain event and not due to a cloudburst.
According to weather scientists, the shrine reported 31 mm of rainfall between 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm on Friday, which is quite low to be categorised as a cloudburst.
“The flash floods could have been triggered due to rainfall in the higher reaches of the mountains near the Amarnath cave shrine,” IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told PTI.
Jammu & Kashmir | In view of possible incidents of cloudbursts, all SDMs, and Tehsildars of Ramban district have been ordered to remain on high alert, ANI tweeted.
The Indian Air Force has said that they have pressed its transport and helicopter assets into service for rescue and relief operations at Amarnath. Mi-17V5 helicopters have inducted NDRF and civil administration personnel at Panchtarni and rescued 21 survivors, ANI tweeted.
They said their helicopters have also brought back six mortal remains. Further operations by IAF Mi-17V5 and Cheetal helicopters are in progress. Aircraft are on standby at all major air bases in Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh areas.
Referring to the cloudburst-affected areas of Amarnath, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami requested Union Home Minister and their LG Manoj Sinha to make all possible arrangements to rescue them, ANI tweeted.
While parts of Maharastra record incessant rain and flooding, districts in north Maharashtra see an increase in drought-prone areas. The study, ‘Monitoring drought pattern for pre-and post-monsoon seasons in a semi-arid region of Western India’warns other districts in Marathwada and parts of north Maharashtra— Beed, Osmanabad, Jalna, Jalgaon, Aurangabad, Nanded, and Dhule — which are vulnerable, as the condition is likely to severely impact the agrarian communities. Read more.
At least 16 people have died in the flash flood triggered by a cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, news agency ANI reported Saturday. Rescue operations are underway.
IGP Kashmir, and Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir reached Amarnath holy cave early Saturday to supervise the rescue operations. At least 15,000 pilgrims, who were stranded near the Amarnath holy cave, have been shifted to the lower base camp of Panjtarni, and “no yatri is left on the track”, an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) spokesperson was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
Nine people died and one was rescued after their car fell into the Dhela river at Ramnagar in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district on Friday after a sudden increase in the water level due to early-morning rain.
According to officials, the car was a taxi carrying tourists — many of them from Punjab. The accident took place around 5.45 am on Friday, when the car was washed away by strong currents of the river. All nine bodies were recovered and the rescued woman, identified as 22-year-old Nazia, is recovering at a hospital in Ramnagar.
Several parts of Telangana were battered by heavy rains on Friday as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red warning in several parts of the state for Saturday and Sunday.
Due to incessant rains, rivers are in full spate and reservoirs are filling up fast. Authorities have opened the spillways of Sri Ram Sagar and Kaddam reservoirs in the Godavari basin. Read more.
Light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers are on the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast for Delhi on Saturday.
The maximum temperature is likely to be around 38 degrees Celsius at the Safdarjung weather observatory, which provides a marker for the city. The maximum temperature recorded on Friday was 39 degrees Celsius, two degrees above the long period average for this time of the year. The minimum temperature early on Saturday was also above normal, settling at 30.5 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal.
The relative humidity at 8.30 am on Saturday was 69%, and the temperature at the same time was 33.6 degrees Celsius.
Despite a poor pre-monsoon season, especially during March and April when the all-India rainfall was 32% short of normal, reservoirs in the country have accumulated reasonably healthy stock overall in July so far. This is because surplus rainfall during the northeast monsoon of 2021 kept stocks replenished through the summer of 2022. Read more.
Following good rainfall since July 1 in the catchment areas of the seven lakes that supply drinking water to the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday has withdrawn a 10 per cent water cut. The regular water supply will be restored in the city from Saturday.
According to data from the BMC, the seven lakes at present have 3.75 lakh million litres of water, which is 25.9 per cent of their full capacity of 14.47 lakh million litres. Last year, the water stock was 18.21 per cent on July 8 and it was 17.50 per cent in 2020, on the same day. Read more.
Indian Meteorological Department issued a red alert on Saturday in Pauri Garhwal and Nainital while neighbouring Sirmaur, Dheradun and Hardiwar received an orange alert.