Weather Update: Heavy rainfall on Thursday disrupted daily life across several states, leaving five people dead in Uttar Pradesh and pushing the Ganga River in Bihar towards it "highest flood mark", putting nearby coastal areas at risk of flooding. The downpours also triggered landslides that blocked roads and halted traffic in Himachal Pradesh, while waterlogging disrupted train services in West Bengal, prompting authorities to issue alerts in all affected regions.
5 Dead In Rain-Related Incidents In UP
Five people were killed in separate rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh. In Chitrakoot's Barachi village, a mud house collapsed, killing three members of a family, while two elderly people died in separate wall collapses in Amethi and Barabanki.
Bihar On Alert As Ganga Nears Highest Flood Mark
Rising water levels of the Ganga River in Bihar have prompted authorities to intensify vigilance. According to the Disaster Management Department, the river is expected to cross its "highest flood mark" at Patna's Gandhi Ghat on Thursday night.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary inspected the water levels along the JP Ganga Path and instructed officials to take necessary measures to ensure public safety. Authorities have advised residents living near the riverbank and in low-lying areas in Bhojpur, Patna, Saran, Vaishali, Nalanda, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, and Jehanabad to remain alert.
Heavy Rains Trigger Landslides In Himachal Pradesh
Heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district caused debris to flow onto the Chandigarh-Shimla highway, disrupting traffic, while overflowing water submerged several shops in the Jabli area near Dharampur. Debris accumulated near Chakki Mor, about 10 km from Parwanoo, forced vehicles to use a single lane, causing severe congestion. Waterlogging was also observed in several parts of Parwanoo.
In Kangra's Naddi area, a landslide damaged the key gravity pipelines supplying drinking water to Dharamshala, disrupting supply to multiple parts of the city.
Across the state, 95 roads remain closed to traffic. On Thursday, Naina Devi in Bilaspur recorded the state's highest rainfall at 130.6 mm, followed by Murari Devi in Mandi at 85.8 mm.
The Shimla Meteorological Centre has forecast heavy rain in isolated parts of Bilaspur, Kangra and Sirmaur on Friday, and in Bilaspur, Kangra and Solan on Saturday. The wet spell is expected to continue until September 9.
Flood Alert In West Bengal
The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) has issued flood alerts for low-lying areas after releasing water from its Maithon and Panchet reservoirs amid heavy rains.
Subir Kumar Saha, DVC Executive Director (Civil), Maithon, said that water release from Maithon was reduced from 1.2 lakh cusecs on Wednesday evening to 98,000 cusecs by Thursday afternoon, lowering the flood risk status from orange to yellow.
The release is likely to affect parts of East Bardhaman, West Bardhaman, Bankura, Hooghly, and Howrah. DVC has alerted the state government and district administrations and asked them to take precautionary measures in riverside areas.
Meanwhile, train operations in Howrah-Malda division of Eastern Railway were disrupted after heavy rains eroded soil beneath the tracks between Tilpara and New Farakka. North Bengal-bound trains were diverted via a bypass line, while several long-distance services, including the Jogbani Express, Gaur Express, and Darjeeling Mail, were delayed as railway maintenance teams initiated repair work.
IMD Forecasts Rain In Delhi
The national capital on Thursday recorded a maximum temperature of 34.9 degrees Celsius, 0.8 degrees Celsius above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 27 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast generally cloudy skies with moderate rainfall in Delhi on Friday and Saturday.