Heavy rains on forecast in several North Indian states
Himachal Pradesh will witness heavy to very heavy rainfall from July 26 onwards, informed an official. "Monsoon is very active in the state for the past three days. The situation will remain the same during the next 36 hours. However, there will be less precipitation thereafter. It has been predicted that heavy to very heavy rainfall will continue in the state after July 26," Surender Paul, Director India Meteorological Department, Himachal Pradesh.
The landslides and flash floods triggered by the heavy rainfall in the parts of Himachal Pradesh have claimed many lives.
Heavy rains wreak havoc across North India
Meanwhile, six rain-related deaths were reported on Tuesday in Punjab and Maharashtra, where rivers have swollen due to intense rainfall, while the IMD predicted heavy showers in the western Himalayan region and the adjoining plains on Wednesday.
Monsoon rains, which arrived in northern India after much delay, kept the mercury in check even though high humidity caused discomfiture.
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 29.8 degrees Celsius after rains in parts of the city. The relative humidity was recorded at 92 per cent. The city received 69.6 mm of rain till 8:30 am, according to the IMD. Parts of the city also witnessed rainfall in the afternoon.
At least two incidents of wall collapse were reported in the national capital on Tuesday. Some low-lying areas in the city were inundated with rainwater as people took to social media to upload videos of waterlogged streets, markets and colonies.
The weather department has predicted moderate rainfall at most places with isolated intense spells very likely over Delhi on Wednesday.
In neighbouring Haryana and Punjab, temperatures hovered below normal as rains lashed several places.
Chandigarh, the joint capital of the two states, received 14.2 mm rain and the maximum settled at 30.2 degrees Celsius, four notches below normal limits.
In Haryana, Ambala received 45 mm rain and recorded a maximum temperature of 31.7 degrees Celsius each, down two notches, while Karnal registered a high of 31 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal after 16 mm rain.
Punjab's Amritsar, which received 24 mm rain, recorded a maximum of 27.8 degrees Celsius while Ludhiana recorded a high of 26.2 degrees Celsius, seven notches below normal, after receiving 36 mm rain.
In Patiala's Shutrana area, a man and his three children died while his wife was injured after the roof of their house collapsed on Monday night following rain.
All the family members were sleeping when the incident occurred.
Rain and thunderstorms also occurred at many places in Uttar Pradesh with a seizable amount of rainfall recorded in Mahamaya Nagar, Etah, Bijnor, Pilibhit, Moradabad, Bareilly, Meerut, Chitrakoot, Bulandshahar, Rampur, Aligarh, Balrampur and Ambedkar Nagar.
There was heavy to very heavy rainfall in many parts of Rajasthan with Sawai Madhopur recording the highest 143 mm of rains in a day.
According to the weather department, light to moderate rain occurred at most places in the districts of Jaipur and Bharatpur divisions, while heavy to very heavy showers were witnessed at some places in Sawai Madhopur, Dholpur and Alwar districts since Monday.
While the maximum rainfall was recorded in Sawai Madhopur, Bari Dholpur recorded 90 mm downpour, Kotkasim (Alwar) 80 mm and Basedi (Dholpur) 71 mm.
A seven-year-old girl and her three-year-old brother drowned in the Patalganga river in Maharashtra's Raigad as several areas of the district were inundated due to heavy rains on Monday.
Water levels rose in Amba, Savitri, Kundalika and Balganga rivers.
A number of villages were flooding forcing authorities to move 250 people to safety. Landslides occurred at Sukeli Khind on the Mumbai-Goa route and Jumapatti near Matheran affecting traffic on both routes.
Till Tuesday morning, Matheran had received 255.70 mm rainfall. Since Monday, Alibaug recorded 96 mm of rain, Roha 153 mm, Pen 187 mm, Sudhagad 220 mm and Poladpur 122 mm.
The IMD issued a red alert for five Maharashtra districts, including Raigad and Pune, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places for the next two days. It also issued an orange alert for Mumbai between Wednesday and Friday, indicating the possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall.
It has predicted widespread rainfall with heavy showers at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and also in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and northwest Madhya Pradesh till Wednesday.
After that rainfall activity is likely to decrease, the weather department said.
The IMD also has forecast isolated extremely heavy rainfall in Konkan, Goa and Gujarat till Friday.
