Page 30 - Rainfall

IMD predicts heavy rainfall in Puducherry from August 30 to September 1

An official press release from the IMD on August 30, said, "Heavy rainfall very likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal from 30 August- 1 September

India experiences the driest August ever recorded, with a 33% rain deficit

IMD expects a monsoon revival from September 2 onwards, despite El Nino still being active

India on track for lowest monsoon rains in eight years, says report

Weather authorities are expected to announce their September forecast on August 31

Himachal rains: Buildings collapse in Kullu, landslides block highway

A row of buildings in Kullu district collapsed Thursday and hundreds of travellers were stranded in relief camps after landslides blocked the road to Mandi in rain-battered Himachal Pradesh. On Wednesday night, there were over 900 people at camps near Pandoh on Kullu-Mandi road. Three more bodies were recovered on Thursday from the rubble of the landslide that buried a Shiv Temple in Shimla's Summer Hill area on August 14. The seven or eight buildings which collapsed in Kullu's Anni town had been vacated earlier and there were no casualties, officials said. Authorities have ordered the closure of all schools in Shimla on Friday. About 120 people have died in landslides and other rain-related incidents in the state this month, about 80 of them since August 14. Altogether, 242 people have died in Himachal Pradesh since the monsoon began on June 24. Officials said stranded people on the Kallu-Mandi highway were shifted to relief camps set up in hotels, rest houses and residential ho

Monsoon rains will trigger growth of Rs 8,000 cr sector: NR Group MD

The NR Group, owner of the world's largest incense stick brand Cycle, on Thursday said monsoon rains will trigger the growth of the Rs 8,000-crore sector, though there are some concerns about normal rainfall as of now. "The sector's actual demand is driven in the second and third quarters of the year due to the festive season. With good monsoon, festivals are celebrated in a bigger way and so the demand for incense sticks and puja materials increases. Currently, there is some uncertainty about a normal monsoon, which is a bit worrying for us," Cycle Pure Agarbathi managing director Arjun Ranga told PTI. He was in the city to launch four new products unveiled by brand ambassador and former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly. Ranga said post-Covid, unorganised players have thrived, which is another headwind, albeit temporary, as they will eventually fade away. With the implementation of GST, most of the industry is becoming more organised as unorganised players are being wiped

Climate change fingerprints all over monsoon this year, say experts

Barring the cumulative rainfall over the country, this year's monsoon has been anything but normal and experts point to climate change as the underlying cause. From a cyclone with the longest lifespan in the Arabian Sea to devastating floods in parts of northwest India and the adjoining Himalayan states, as well as a prolonged break in the monsoon, the unmistakable imprints of climate change are evident this year, asserted Mahesh Palawat, vice president (Climate Change and Meteorology) at private forecasting agency Skymet Weather. In early June, cyclone Biparjoy delayed the onset of the monsoon over Kerala and the advance over southern India and the adjoining western and central parts of the country. Meteorologists say the cyclone experienced rapid intensification initially and maintained its strength due to an unusually warm Arabian Sea. They emphasise that cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are intensifying rapidly and retaining their potency for longer perio

Torrential rainfall in Himachal wreaks havoc, 8 buildings collapse in Kullu

At least eight buildings that had developed cracks and were declared unsafe following recent rains collapsed in Anni area of Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district on Thursday, throwing up large clouds of dust and debris. There were no casualties. The buildings housing shops, banks and other commercial establishments had developed cracks four-five days ago, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Anni, Naresh Verma, who was at the spot, said. The buildings were declared unsafe and vacated recently, he said. The assessment of damage is being done and some other unsafe buildings along the National Highway305 in Anni have also been vacated as a precautionary measure, the official added. As many as 120 people have died in rain-related incidents in the state this month while a total of 238 people have died and 40 are still missing since the onset of monsoon in Himachal Pradesh on June 24. Himachal saw three major spells of heavy rains this Monsoon. The first on July 9 and 10 led to large-scale ..

Massive landslide in Himachal Pradesh, buildings collapse in Kullu

IMD issues red alert, warning for heavy rainfall over the next two days in the state

Uttarakhand rains: One killed in landslide in Pauri, normal life disrupted

One person died in a landslide in Pauri district on Wednesday while water levels of the Pindar river and its tributary Pranmati in Chamoli district rose again following heavy rains in Uttarakhand, threatening to flood places located along their banks. The meteorological department has issued red or orange alerts for Wednesday in all the districts of the state. Due to continuous rains in most parts of the state, rivers and streams are in spate and many roads including national highways are blocked for traffic, affecting normal life. According to information received from the District Disaster Management Office of Pauri, debris suddenly fell from a hill near Ufrankhal on Jagatpuri-Ufrankhal-Ramnagar motorway in Thalisain tehsil at around 4 pm, hitting two labourers. One of the workers identified as Heera Singh (55) died in the accident while another named Shyam Singh (35) was injured. Both the labourers were residents of Paptoli. In Haridwar, the walls of three shops built near the

Himachal govt orders immediate closure of stone crushers near Beas river

The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to immediately stop the operations of all stone crushers on both perennial and non-perennial rivulets of the Beas river basin and its tributaries, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday. The decision has been taken after considering the alarming transformation of the ecosystem during the current monsoon which saw excessive heavy rainfall and landslides, wreaking havoc downstream in the Beas river basin and its tributaries in Kullu, Mandi Kangra and Hamirpur districts besides Chakki rivulet in district Kangra, an official statement issued here said. It said the decision will ensure the safety of human settlements and infrastructure and to preserve the fragile ecology and environment of the state. However, the lease of legal mining has not been cancelled. Sukhu said directions had been given to the Department of Environment, Science and Technology and Climate Change to convene a high-level consultation meet inviting experts

Rains 7% deficient in August so far after a surplus July, shows data

While the dry spell has started to end in several areas with the return of rains, the crucial question is how vigorous the rains will be moving forward

Met warns of heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh from August 22-24

The Met office here has issued an 'orange alert' for heavy to very heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh from August 22-24 and 'yellow alert' for heavy rain on August 21, even as the monsoon remained subdued in the state. Isolated parts of the state witnessed light rain on Sunday, it said. The Met also warned of moderate risk of flash floods in catchment areas of Chamba and Mandi districts and predicted a wet spell till August 26. Heavy rain can result in landslides, flash floods and increased water levels in rivers and drains, besides causing damage to standing crops, fruit plants and young seedlings, the weather office said.

IMD issues orange alert in MP, warns of heavy rainfall in next 24 hrs

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in association with the Low-pressure area, heavy rainfall activity is likely to continue over Madhya Pradesh and East Rajasthan next 2-3 days

Rain lashes parts of Delhi, city logs minimum temperature of 25.4 degrees

Delhi on Saturday received a fresh spell of rainfall bringing some respite from the humid weather in the city and the minimum temperature settled at 25.4 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal, according to the India Meteorological Department. However, the maximum temperature settled at 35.6 degree Celsius, one notch above the season's average, it said. Rains caused waterlogging, affecting traffic movement in several parts of Delhi, including Firni Road in Najafgarh, Bahardurgarh Road, Patparganj, Vasant Kunj, Mundka and Badarpur. The city recorded 13 mm rainfall till 8.30 am, the IMD said. It has predicted generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle on Sunday. It said the maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle around 36 and 25 degrees Celsius, respectively. The humidity oscillated between 96 per cent and 65 per cent. According to Central Pollution Control Board data, the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood in the 'moderate' category with a reading of 118 at 6 pm. An

India faces record low rains in August and threatening summer crops

India is on course to receive an average of less than 180 mm (7 inches) of rainfall this month, he added, based on rains so far and expectations for the rest of the month

Himachal govt declares whole state as 'natural calamity affected area'

The Himachal Pradesh government Friday declared the massive damage caused by heavy rains as a state calamity. The entire hill state has been declared as a "natural calamity affected area" in view of the damage caused to human life and property due to heavy rains, a notification issued here on Friday said. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had told PTI that the Himachal Pradesh government has decided to declare the massive damage caused by heavy rains as a state calamity. The state is also awaiting a response from the Centre to declare the disaster in Himachal Pradesh as a national calamity, Sukhu said. Speaking to PTI, Principal Secretary (Revenue) Onkar Chand Sharma said that after the weather becomes normal and accessibility is improved, a complete assessment of the losses incurred by the hill state would be conducted and the report will be submitted to the Centre for recovery and reconstruction efforts. Meanwhile, with the recovery of three more bodies f

Kerala eyes at severe drought as it records 44% deficit in rain this season

Kerala, the gateway of the monsoon in the country, is staring at the worst drought of the past few years as the state has recorded a 44 per cent deficit in seasonal rainfall, officials said here on Friday. For the period June 1 to August 16, Kerala received only 877.2 mm of rainfall whereas normal rainfall figures recorded for the Southwest Monsoon in the state are 1,572.1 mm, according to the India Meteorological Department. This translates to a 44 per cent deficit this season. Rainfall data of the seven days from August 10 to 16 illustrate how acute the situation is. There has been a deficit of 94 per cent during that period, as rainfall recorded was a mere 6.5 mm compared to normal rainfall of 109.6 mm. Idukki, where Kerala's biggest hydroelectric power project is located, has recorded the lowest rainfall this season up to August 16, with a deficit of 60 per cent. "The rainfall forecast for the next two weeks also shows a below-normal pattern," IMD Kerala Director K Santhosh to

U'khand rains: Resorts in Lakshman Jhula area ordered to cancel bookings

Days after five members of a family from Haryana were killed at a resort in Lakshman Jhula area after it was hit by a landslide, the Pauri district administration on Friday asked resort owners and camp operators in the popular tourist spot to cancel the bookings till further orders in view of heavy rains. Debris of a landslide fell on Monday on a resort named Night Paradise Camp in Lakshman Jhula area burying a family of six from Haryana's Kurukshetra and Panipat districts inside. The lone survivor, a 10-year-old girl, was rescued alive hours after the tragedy but the bodies of the rest of them were pulled out of the debris one after another over the past few days. The order asking resort owners to cancel the bookings till further orders has been issued for the safety of tourists, Lakhshman Jhula Station House Officer (SHO) Vinod Gusain said. "Saving lives is the administration's top priority. An order like this has been issued for the safety of tourists," he said. Strict legal ac

India braces for more rain after floods, lightning kill 2,000: Report

Rains have affected about 500,000 hectares of crops and damaged almost 90,000 houses since the start of the monsoon in early June, according to data compiled by the home ministry

HP rain fury: Death toll climbs to 72, 8 still under Shiv temple debris

With the recovery of one more body from the debris of a collapsed Shiv temple in Summer Hill area here, the death toll in the rain fury in Himachal Pradesh has climbed to 72, officials said on Thursday. The deceased was identified as Prof P L Sharma, Chairman, Department of Mathematics, Himachal Pradesh University. The temple was crowded with devotees on Monday when the landslide struck. Eight persons are still feared buried in the debris. Heavy rains have lashed the hill state since Sunday, triggering landslides in several districts, including Shimla. The total number of deaths in rain-related incidents in the state since Sunday night has increased to 72 with Shimla alone accounting for 21 deaths. "With the recovery of one more body on Wednesday, the death toll in three landslide incidents - Summerhill, Fagli and Krishna Nagar in state capital Shimla -- has reached 21," Superintendent of Police, Shimla, Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI. Rescue operations are going on in Summer Hill