Monsoon mayhem across India: Heavy rains wreak havoc across states; dramatic videos go viral (WATCH)

India is currently experiencing a tumultuous monsoon season, with heavy rains wreaking havoc across multiple states. From the bustling streets of Mumbai and Delhi-NCR to the landscapes of Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Karnataka and more, torrential downpours have caused widespread flooding, disrupted daily life, and prompted urgent rescue operations.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely severe rain in Gujarat and Maharashtra, while the climate office has issued an orange alert, anticipating severe downpours in Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa.

Northwest India, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan, is expected to encounter heavy rainfall until July 28. Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh are also anticipated to experience heavy showers, with Punjab and Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on alert for the next few days.

Maharashtra

Incessant rain over the past 24 hours wreaked havoc in several parts of Maharashtra, resulting in at least six deaths and 12 injuries in rain-related incidents. Many houses in low-lying areas were inundated, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of people to safety zones as a flood-like situation prevailed.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Pune, Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, and Raigad. In Pune, the Fire Brigade rescued and relocated nearly 160 people from marooned houses and buildings in low-lying areas, with over 200 firefighters and officers involved in these operations. Given the heavy rainfall, the Department of Education declared holidays for schools and colleges in Thane, Raigad, Pune, Palghar, Navi Mumbai, and Mumbai. A public advisory urged people to stay indoors.

Between May 15 and July 25, 2024, at least 94 people have died in Maharashtra due to monsoon-related calamities such as lightning strikes, landslides, tree falls, floods, or structural collapses. Four people are missing, and 145 have been injured. A total of 241 people have been evacuated across the state. Additionally, 306 animals have died, and eight are reported injured.

Delhi-NCR

Delhiites woke up to heavy rainfall on Friday morning, providing a much-needed respite from the persistently humid weather conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a yellow alert for Delhi from July 26 to July 27, predicting a generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms.

Following the heavy rains on Friday morning, several parts of the national capital, including Bhikaji Cama Place, Motibagh Ring Road, Parliament Street, and Ashoka Road, experienced significant waterlogging, leading to traffic jams. As of 6:30 am on Friday, the Delhi University area had received 89.5 mm of rainfall, while the IGNOU area had recorded 34.5 mm.

The heavy rainfall and thick clouds caused slow traffic movement and reduced visibility in some areas of Delhi and its adjoining regions. In response, the Delhi Traffic Police issued a traffic advisory, urging commuters to avoid Ch. Fateh Singh Marg, Vandematram Marg Ring Road, Dhaula Kuan flyover, and the area near Minto Bridge. Vehicular traffic from Connaught Place to Minto Road was diverted to Outer Circle Connaught Place, Barakhamba Road, and Turkman Gate/Kamla Market via Ranjeet Singh Flyover. Traffic from R/A Kamla Market on Minto Road was redirected to DDU Marg towards Connaught Place via Ranjeet Singh Flyover. The advisory also urged the public and motorists to remain patient, observe traffic rules, and follow the directions of traffic personnel at all intersections.

The IMD also forecasted light rainfall or drizzle in various parts of Delhi, including Narela, Alipur, Badili, Pitampura, Punjabi Bagh, Seelampur, Shahadra, Vivek Vihar, Red Fort, President House, Rajiv Chowk, ITO, India Gate, Lodi Road, RK Puram, Defence Colony, Hauz Khas, Malviya Nagar, and IGNOU. Light to moderate rainfall is also expected in Seemapuri, Dilshad Garden, Patel Nagar, and Burari. Additionally, parts of the NCR, such as Hindon Air Force Station, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Ballabhgarh, are likely to experience similar weather conditions on Friday.

The weather department further predicted a generally cloudy sky with light rains for July 28 and 29, and light to moderate rain or thunderstorms for July 30 and 31.

Rajasthan

Heavy rains lashed parts of eastern Rajasthan on Thursday, while several other areas received light showers, according to the meteorological department. Rainfall is expected to continue in many parts of eastern Rajasthan and some parts of the Bikaner division in western Rajasthan over the next four to five days. The maximum temperature in most parts of the state dropped by up to four degrees Celsius, with Bikaner recording a high of 39.2 degrees Celsius.

In the past 24 hours, significant rainfall was recorded, including 20 cm in Dausa, 13 cm in Karauli, and 11 cm in Baswa. From Thursday morning until 5:30 pm, 60.6 mm of rain was recorded in Kota, 32 mm in Sikar, and 25.8 mm in Jaipur. The Jaipur Meteorological Centre's Director, Radheshyam Sharma, attributed the continued rainfall to a cyclonic circulation system over north-west Uttar Pradesh, causing the monsoon trough line to pass through Ganganagar and Jaipur.

Madhya Pradesh

Rains in several parts of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday caused water-logging, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning on Friday. Some dams had their sluice gates opened to manage water levels, and videos on social media showed flooded drains. In Katni district, railway staff were seen guiding a locomotive through flooded tracks.

Satna and Ratlam districts received 88 mm and 80 mm of rainfall, respectively, between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm on Thursday, while Bhopal received 25.6 mm from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm, according to IMD's Bhopal Centre. The IMD predicts heavy to very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with lightning at isolated places in MP on Friday.

Gujarat

Despite a pause in rain on Thursday, many areas in south and central Gujarat, along with 666 roads, remained inundated. The government reported that since the beginning of the monsoon, 61 people have died across the state. Anand district’s Borsad taluka received 35 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, while the Kutch region has received up to 75% of the season’s rainfall, followed by Saurashtra at 73%. Of the state’s 206 dams, 46 are overflowing, 51 are on high alert, and 25 are over 70% full.

In terms of reservoir capacity, the water resources department reported that 141 reservoirs in Saurashtra are at 50.06% capacity, 20 reservoirs in Kutch are at 49.23%, 13 reservoirs in south Gujarat are at 46.16%, 17 reservoirs in central Gujarat are at 35.17%, and 15 reservoirs in north Gujarat are at 26.59%. Over the past 24 hours, Subir taluka of Dang, Nandod in Narmada, Shinor in Vadodara, Ankleshwar, Jangiya, Hansot in Bharuch, Dehgam in Gandhinagar, and Mahuva in Surat have received over five inches of rain. Additionally, 15 talukas recorded four inches of rain and 21 talukas recorded three inches.

The IMD issued alert of thunderstorms/lightning with maximum surface wind speed 41-61 kmph accompanied with heavy rain (>15mm/hr) on Friday in several districts of Gujarat namely Surat, Tapi, Navsari, Dangs, Valsad, Daman, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Bhavnagar and Amreli.

Uttarakhand

The IMD has forecasted more rain for Uttarakhand, which has already been experiencing heavy downpours, over the next seven days. In response, the Dehradun District Magistrate Office announced a holiday for schools from classes 1 to 12 on Friday, July 26.

This decision follows the weather department's warning of heavy rain and lightning with thunder. The latest bulletin from the IMD includes an orange alert for Uttarakhand, predicting isolated very heavy rainfall on July 26 and 27.

Karnataka

With heavy rains pounding the Hemavathi river basin and the dam nearing full capacity, around 55,000 to 65,000 cusecs of water are being released. Authorities have issued flood alerts, warning that the outflow could reach 1 lakh cusecs by Friday, and have advised people living downstream to move to safer locations.

The Hemavathi river overflowed onto the Hethuru-Kumbarahalli road in Sakleshpur taluk, disrupting vehicular movement. Similarly, water overflowed on the bridge on Matasagar-Kempenal road and a bridge near Sankalapura. Hethuru in Sakleshpur taluk received 15.4 cm of rainfall in 24 hours, Yesaluru 13.3 cm, Hanubalu 12.7 cm, and Sakleshpur 10.4 cm. DDPI H K Pandu has declared a holiday for schools in Hassan, Arkalgud, Sakleshpur, Alur, Belur, and Holenarsipur taluks on July 26.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

Meteorological Department officials have issued a heavy rain alert for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana due to a series of depressions in the Bay of Bengal over the next two days. Forecasts indicate that districts in Telangana, including Kumrambhim Asifabad, Mancherial, and Peddapalli, should expect heavy rainfall along with thunder and lightning. Residents are advised to prepare for strong gusty winds as conditions worsen.

The Disaster Management Agency has also predicted significant rainfall in Andhra Pradesh, particularly in the Manyam, Alluri, and Eluru districts, where light to moderate rains are expected on Friday. Additional light rains may affect Kakinada, Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, Prakasam, Nandyal, and Kurnool districts.

Continuous rainfall over the past four days has caused streams and bends to overflow, significantly filling ponds across both states. In the Godavari region, flood waters have reached a concerning height of 48 feet near Bhadrachalam, prompting a second danger warning. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and emphasizing safety measures for residents in the affected areas.

Kerala

Severe weather conditions have struck North Malabar in Kerala, leading to extensive damage in Kasaragod, Kannur, and Kozhikode. In Kasaragod alone, more than a hundred homes have been destroyed, and nearly 200 small houses and shops have sustained partial damage due to the heavy rains and strong winds.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast of continued heavy rainfall and high winds for these districts, as well as Wayanad, over the next four days. From July 26 to 29, Kerala is expected to experience heavy rain, with surface winds reaching up to 30 km/h. The IMD also predicts wind gusts of up to 50 km/h in various parts of the state in the coming days. Fishermen are cautioned to stay out of the sea due to high tides and strong currents in the Arabian Sea.

Tamil Nadu

The Chennai Regional Meteorological Centre has forecast heavy rains for the Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts, with moderate rains and thunderstorms expected in parts of Chennai over the next 24 hours. Due to a shift in the westerly wind speed on July 26 and 27, light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning may occur in several areas of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal.

The weather agency also warned of strong winds gusting at 30-40 km/h. Additionally, a heavy rain warning has been issued for some areas in the Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts. From July 27 to 31, moderate rains are expected across Tamil Nadu. In the past 24 hours, moderate thunderstorms have occurred in parts of north Tamil Nadu, with several locations in Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, and Ariyalur districts receiving rain.