The monsoon rains over the past 48 hours have resulted in the loss of at least 12 lives in various cities and towns of northern India. India’s weather department, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has expected further rains in the upcoming days.
Monsoon mayhem: Heavy rainfall forecasts
Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir are all expected to receive heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, as per the IMD’s forecasts.
The prevailing western disturbance in northern India has led to an intense rainfall event, including Delhi, where the season’s initial heavy rain was observed.
India monsoon updates: Waterlogging, traffic congestion in the national capital
This excessive rainfall has caused waterlogging in several areas of the national capital, resulting in severe traffic congestion.
In a span of 24 hours, Delhi recorded a remarkable 153 mm of rainfall, the highest for a single day in July since 1982.
Over the weekend, heavy rain persisted in Delhi and its adjacent National Capital Region (NCR), leading to waterlogging and power outages in various parts of Gurugram.
Monsoon mayhem strikes Northern India
A 58-year-old woman lost her life in Delhi when the ceiling of her apartment collapsed on her, while four individuals lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Rajasthan.
In Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, two Army soldiers tragically died after being swept away in flash floods yesterday.
The IMD has warned of extremely heavy rainfall in over nine districts of Rajasthan, namely Rajsamand, Jalore, Pali, Ajmer, Alwar, Banswara, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Bundi, Chittorgarh, Dausa, Dhaulpur, Jaipur, and Kota.
A section of the Srinagar-Jammu Highway has suffered a collapse, leaving around 3,000 vehicles stranded.
Down south, Kerala and Karnataka have also experienced incessant rainfall in many areas. The IMD has issued a “yellow” alert for four districts in Kerala—Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod.
The weather office has issued a “red” alert for seven districts in Himachal Pradesh following landslides and flash floods that have blocked several roads in Shimla, Sirmaur, Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba, and Solan.
Furthermore, in Kullu district, a portion of the national highway was washed away as the Beas river breached the danger mark.
