Mercury to rise in Delhi as monsoon retreats; rains wreak havoc in Solapur

Southwest monsoon lingers across India; floods, crop losses, and gusty winds reported, with IMD forecasting thunderstorms and very heavy rainfall in select regions

Delhi residents woke up to a comparatively warmer Saturday morning due to high humidity levels across the city, with weather officials cautioning that the temperature is likely to rise in the region in the coming days as southwest monsoon retreats. 

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast mostly clear skies over the national capital for the next week, signalling the end of the rainy spell that had brought brief relief from heat and humidity earlier this week.

 

IMD recorded a minimum temperature of 24.2 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to touch around 35 degrees Celsius during the day.

 

 

Relative humidity, this morning, stood at 83 per cent at 8:30 am, while maximum temperatures are expected to hover around 35 degrees Celsius under partly cloudy skies. 

 

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi remained in the 'moderate' category at 131 at 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Greater Noida and neighbouring areas recorded a 'poor' AQI of 220 on Friday afternoon.

Monsoon withdrawal continues

The southwest monsoon withdrawal line currently passes through Bhatinda, Fatehabad, Pilani, Ajmer, Deesa, Bhuj, and further south. Conditions are becoming favourable for further withdrawal from parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir over the next 3–4 days. 

IMD rainfall forecast

• Very heavy rainfall (isolated): Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Heavy rainfall (isolated): Arunachal Pradesh, Assam & Meghalaya, Bihar, Gujarat, interior Karnataka, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal, West Madhya Pradesh

Heavy rains hit Maharashtra’s Latur, Solapur

Persistent rainfall has wreaked havoc across parts of Maharashtra, causing extensive damage and loss of life.

  In Solapur district, floods damaged crops, homes, and roads after the release of water from Ujani and Sina rivers. Between June and September 18, the district received 95.95 per cent of its annual average rainfall. Forty-three of 91 revenue circles reported excess rain, with nearly 1.86 lakh farmers affected. Floodwaters entered 3,434 homes, damaging 276 houses, while 28 cattle and over 15,000 poultry birds perished. One death was reported in Karmala taluka. Losses are pegged at over Rs 4,700 crore.

 

In Latur, bodies of five persons, who were swept away by floodwaters, were recovered after a 40-hour search operation. The victims included a 27-year-old farmer who drowned in the Tirru river and four passengers of an autorickshaw washed away in Jalkot taluka. Three others travelling in the vehicle were rescued. The district has reported heavy damage to crops and houses, with losses estimated at Rs 480 crore. Rescue teams from the NDRF, fire brigade, and police carried out the operations.