Heavy rains lash parts of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka; MeT department predicts incessant downpour for next five days
Mumbai and several other parts of Maharashtra have been receiving heavy rains since Saturday morning resulting throwing normal life out of gear.
Heavy rains lashed across parts of Maharashtra, Goa and Assam on Saturday bringing normal life to a standstill. The Indian MeT Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rains in Konkan Goa and Mumbai for the next five days.
The weather department has also forecast heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in south interior Karnataka, heavy to very heavy rainfall over south Gujarat region, central Maharashtra and Marathawada region, Kerala and Telangana.
1. Maharashtra rains: One person dies due to lightning, normal life disrupted in various parts including Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane
Mumbai and several other parts of Maharashtra have been receiving heavy rains since Saturday morning resulting throwing normal life out of gear. Reports of waterlogging have been received from across the maximum city as heavy showers along with gusty winds lashed Mumbai and suburban areas.
One person was killed and normal life disrupted in many areas on Saturday as, for the second time this week, torrential rains lashed the Mumbai suburbs, and adjoining districts of Thane, Raigad, and Palghar, officials said.
Local train services were also hit on some of the lines as rail tracks were submerged in water due to continuous rainfall. Local train services on Central Line has been stopped. Rail tracks at Kalyan station are underwater adding to the woes of commuters.
Flood-like situation prevailed in Thane district's Bhiwandi following heavy rains. In Palghar too, severe waterlogging was reported from several areas. Heavy rains brought normal life to a standstill in Thane and nearby areas. It also caused major traffic jams in various cities. The MeT Department has predicted that heavy to very heavy rainfall will occur in Konkan Goa and Mumbai in the next five days.
Navi Mumbai and Kalyan too received heavy rainfall, leading to water logging on the roads.
Traffic on the Mumbai-Goa Highway was halted for over 30 minutes near Kashedi Ghat as the Savitri river overflowed.
At least five picnickers went missing and another 30 were rescued from a picturesque hilly picnic spot, Chinchoti Falls in Palghar district.
An aerial search with helicopters and an NDRF team from here have launched a rescue operation to trace the missing persons.
Usha Sawant, 40, was electrocuted and her daughter Kumari, 5, injured following a short-circuit in their house in PMGP Colony in suburban Mankhurd.
The Central Railway suburban and long-distance train traffic was again hit after at least three signal poles fell down in the rains.
It diverted two trains on the Mumbai-Pune sector and cancelled three services due to the downpour which continued till evening.
Though streams and water bodies adjoining the Western Railway were swollen, there was no major impact on the train traffic.
Large parts of towns like Palghar, Boisar, Dahanu, Saphale, Virar, Vasai, Kalyan, Ambernath, Badlapur, Vidyavihar, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Karjat, Pali and surrounding villages experienced flooding or heavy waterlogging, throwing traffic movement out of gear.
The busy Mumbai-Goa Highway was blocked for over three hours due to landslides or tree crashes resulting in massive traffic jams over several kilometres, and peoples' weekend getaway plans went haywire.
A majority of the big and small rivers in western and coastal parts of the state including the Savitri River, were overflowing, with flood waters running into surrounding villages.
The famed hill stations of Matheran (Raigad) and Mahabaleshwar (Satara), Khandala (Pune) received heavy rains and over 10,000 people jostled in traffic snarls to visit the Bhushi Dam in neighbouring twin-hill station of Lonavala which received 160 mm rains.
While Matheran and Karjart in Raigad received around 190 mm and 150 mm respectively, Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani 160 mm, Murbad in Thane was inundated under 220 mm, and Wada in Palghar with 230 mm.
The IMD said most places in the Palghar, Thane and Raigad received an average of around 110-200 mm rains in the past 24 hours.
It has also forecast heavy to very heavy rains in Mumbai and adjoining districts over the next 24-48 hours, besides in places like Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nanded, Akola, Wardha, Chandrapure and the coastal Konkan.
Nagpur, Wardha, Chandrapur, and Thane received heavy rain on Friday and Saturday. The rains caused water-logging on the premises of Nagpur Vidhan Sabha on Friday.
Earlier on Friday, Nagpur city recorded a whopping 265 mm of rainfall in just nine hours, flooding several nearby localities.
The incessant downpour caused water-logging in several areas of the city, where incidents of uprooting of trees were also reported. Several parts of the Vidarbha region, too, received copious rains. Both the state legislature and council assembly sessions were adjourned due to a power blackout caused by the rains.
2. Heavy rains lash Goa for fourth consecutive day
Heavy rains lashed Goa for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday. Continuous downpour in the cities, including Panaji, Mapusa, Vasco and Margao, led to traffic congestions and flooding as water entered the houses in low-lying areas. This is the highest rainfall that Goa has received (282mm in 6 hours) since 1994. In 1994, Goa had received 304.6mm of rain in 24 hours. The met department has issued a red-alert waring for Vidarbha, Konkan and Goa.
3. Heavy rains wreak havoc in Karnataka, Mangaluru, Udupi worst affected
Heavy rainfall hit several parts of Karnataka, with the coastal city of Mangaluru being the worst affected. Water-logging was reported on several stretches of the city’s roads on Saturday.
Water-logging was also reported from Udupi region on Saturday.
4. Heavy floods in Assam
Over 41,000 people across 58 villages in Nalbari, Barpeta, Chirang, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Majuli districts have been affected by flood following heavy rain, according to a report by Assam State Disaster Management Authority. Over 2,156 hectares of crop lands have been damaged.
Lakhimpur district is the worst-hit with over 22,000 people affected. In Biswanath, Chirang and Morigaon districts, erosion has displaced families.
5. MeT Department predicts heavy rains in Uttarakhand
The Indian Meteorological Department on Saturday predicted heavy rain at isolated places in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand over the next 24 hours, prompting authorities to sound an alert all over the state.
Heavy rain may also lash parts of the Garhwal region of the state especially Chamoli, Pauri and Rudraprayag districts on July 10 and 11, the department said.
The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) wrote to all district magistrates to be on high alert in view of the Met department's warning.
6. Rains, thundershowers likely in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, says MeT Department
Rains and thundershowers are very likely at a few places over east Uttar Pradesh and at isolated places in west UP on July 8.
On Friday, the day temperatures were above normal in Allahabad, Varanasi, Faizabad, Kanpur, Lucknow and Moradabad divisions.
Allahabad was recorded as the hottest place in the state, where mercury touched 41 degrees Celsius mark.
According to the MeT Department here, rains and thundershowers are very likely at most places over east UP and at many places over west UP on July 10.
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