Parts of north India received heavy to moderate rains on Sunday even as the flood situation improved in Madhya Pradesh where at least 14,000 people had to be rescued following heavy rainfall in the Chambal-Gwalior region earlier this week. Heavy rains lashed Delhi following which the maximum temperature in the city settled at 33.4 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The national capital received 15.4 mm rainfall in the nine hours ending at 5.30 pm, the IMD said, adding that the relative humidity was recorded at 96 per cent and the minimum temperature at 26.8 degrees Celsius.
The rains led to waterlogging and traffic snarls in many areas. The Delhi Traffic Police took to Twitter to inform commuters about traffic snarls across the city. According to the weather department, Delhi is likely to receive normal rainfall — 95 to 106 per cent of the long-period average — in August.
Chandigarh and its surrounding areas were pounded by heavy rainfall, providing some relief to people from sultry weather. Adjoining towns Mohali (Punjab) and Panchkula (Haryana) also witnessed heavy showers. Traffic movement slowed down as many roads were flooded with rainwater for some time.
Sultry weather has prevailed at many places in Punjab and Haryana, including common capital Chandigarh, during the past few days. According to the Meteorological Department, while Chandigarh received 30.2 mm rain, Ambala recorded 15 mm, Karnal 10.6 mm, Rohtak 19 mm, Gurgaon 28 mm, Amritsar and Ludhiana 2 mm each and Patiala 1 mm.
Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius during the day. Ambala in Haryana recorded a high of 33.2 degrees Celsius, Karnal 32.2 degrees Celsius, Rohtak 31.5 degrees Celsius and Gurgaon 32.5 degrees Celsius.
In Punjab, Gurdaspur registered a high of 33.5 degrees Celsius, Amritsar 35 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 33.4 degrees Celsius and Patiala 34.2 degrees Celsius. Light to moderate rain along with thundershower occurred at a few places over eastern Uttar Pradesh, the MeT Department said. Lalitpur, Firozabad, Maharajganj, Kheri, Mathura, Meerut, Basti, Ballia, Ambedkar Nagar, Kasganj and Sambhal received rainfall, it said. Lakhimpur Kheri was the hottest city in the state where mercury touched 35.6 degrees Celsius.
The flood situation in Madhya Pradesh was improving following which no rescue operation was undertaken on Sunday, while nearly 14,000 people were living in over 230 relief camps in the affected districts, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said. Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia undertook an aerial survey of flood-hit areas of Gwalior-Chambal region in the morning and said the area had "not witnessed such devastation in the last 40 years". Talking to reporters in Bhopal, Mishra said, "No rescue operation is underway today in the flood hit areas now due to an improvement in the situation. All those trapped in the floods have been rescued and shifted to relief camps. Around 14,000 people are living in 237 camps in the flood districts of the state." He said there was a forecast of rain in Morena, Shivpuri, Ashok Nagar and Sheopur districts on Sunday. At least 24 people died and thousands were evacuated to safety as rains lashed the Chambal-Gwalior region of north Madhya Pradesh earlier this week. The intensity of rainfall over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim is likely to increase from August 11-12 as the monsoon trough has shifted close to the foothills, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said the monsoon trough is moving towards the western foothills of the Himalayas. He said rainfall is likely to decrease over north Indian plains and increase over the hills. The entire monsoon trough is likely to shift close to the foothills of the Himalayas during the next 24 to 48-hours, the IMD said. A cyclonic circulation lies over northeast Madhya Pradesh, it added.
"Under the influence of these systems, widespread rainfall activity with isolated heavy falls is very likely over northeast and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the next five days," the IMD said. Due to stronger southwesterly or southerly winds from the Bay of Bengal, the intensity of rainfall is very likely to increase over these areas from August 11.
Isolated heavy to very heavy falls are likely in the region on August 11 and 12, the IMD said. Fairly widespread rainfall over Uttarakhand, northern parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and gangetic West Bengal is likely during the next four-five days, Mohapatra said.
Rainfall with isolated heavy falls is very likely over Madhya Pradesh and east Rajasthan during next two days with significant reduction in intensity and distribution thereafter, he added. Subdued rainfall is very likely over peninsular India, including Maharashtra and Gujarat, and excluding Kerala, Mahe and Tamil Nadu, where isolated heavy falls are very likely during the next four-five days, the IMD added.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here.
Comments
0 comment