Train coaches are seen toppled over following mudslides triggered by heavy rains at New Haflong railway station on the Lumding-Silchar route at Dima Hasao district in Assam. (AP)India Heatwave Highlights: As rains continue to batter Assam and parts of Northeast, more than 6 lakh people across 27 districts in the state have been displaced. On Wednesday, the death toll rose to 9, with one person drowning in floodwaters in Darrang district. A bulletin from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that embankments were breached, roads and bridges destroyed, and school buildings damaged in various districts of the state. Nagaon is the worst-affected district where 2.88 lakh people have been affected.
Eight-year-old Mehakpreet Singh, a resident of Patti Dullat village of Longowal block in Sangrur district, died on Monday afternoon. Family members said that the child, who was a student of class IV of Government primary school in Patti Dullat, got sick due to intense heat wave and couldnât be saved despite being taken to different hospitals.
Pre-monsoon rains continued to lash Kerala on Thursday as the Met Department predicted heavy to extremely heavy showers on Thursday owing to a cyclonic circulation over Tamil Nadu. An alert has also been issued in 12 of the 14 districts of Kerala.
A man bathes to get respite from the heat on a hot summer day, in Ajmer, Thursday. (PTI)
Severe heatwave conditions have been consistently reported over large parts of India since the beginning of the summer season in March. On Sunday, the mercury touched nearly 50 degrees Celsius in some areas of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, a day after Jacobabad in neighbouring Pakistan had recorded 51 degree Celsius. Read more
Delhi is likely to see clear skies and a maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius on Thursday, according to the forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
At 8.30 am on Thursday, the temperature was 31.2 degrees and the relative humidity was 56 per cent. While the possibility of thunder and lightning, and a dust storm or thunderstorm are on the forecast for Friday and Saturday, Sunday could witness cloudy skies and light rainfall, the forecast indicates. Read more
Pre-monsoon rains continued to lash Kerala on Thursday as the Met Department predicted heavy to extremely heavy showers on Thursday owing to a cyclonic circulation over Tamil Nadu. An alert has also been issued in 12 of the 14 districts of the state.
Several low-lying areas, including residential hubs in Kochi and suburban areas, were flooded due to incessant rains since Wednesday night. The state disaster management authority has deployed NDRF teams in seven districts. Read more
Climate change has made the record breaking heat waves in India and Pakistan over 100 times more likely, and also increased the chances that such events will occur more frequently in the future, according to a study by the UK Met Office.
The analysis released on Wednesday means extreme temperature events once expected every three centuries are now likely to happen every three years. The study estimated the chances of exceeding the record temperature witnessed in April and May in 2010 -- which saw the highest combined average April and May temperature since 1900.
The attribution study, which determines the influence of climate change on a particular weather event, shows that the natural probability of a heat wave exceeding the average temperature in 2010 was once in 312 years. (PTI)
The national capital witnessed a warm Thursday morning as the minimum temperature of the day was recorded at 27.5 degrees Celsius, one notch above normal. The weather office predicted a clear sky.
“There will be mainly clear sky on Thursday and the maximum temperature of the day will hover around 42 degrees Celsius,” an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The maximum temperature on Wednesday had settled at 40.6 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the season. Delhi had recorded a maximum temperature of 45.6 degrees Celsius, the highest this year so far, on Sunday. The relative humidity at 8.30 am was recorded at 56 per cent, the weather office said. (PTI)
Heavy pre-monsoon rains continued to lash Kerala where the Met Department has predicted heavy to extremely heavy showers on Thursday due to the impact of a cyclonic circulation over Tamil Nadu. Alert for heavy rains has been declared in 12 out of 14 districts in the state.
Several low-lying areas, including residential hubs in Kochi and suburban areas, were flooded following incessant rains since Wednesday night. The state disaster management authority has deployed NDRF teams in seven districts of the state.
Ten shutters of Bhoothathankettu dam in Ernakulam district were lifted due to heavy inflow. In Thrissur, the district administration issued a warning that shutters of Peringalkuthu dam would be opened on Thursday.
During the season starting from March 1 to May 18, the state has got 538.9 mm rains as against the normal figure of 252.8 mm, which showed a 112 per cent departure from normal rains.
Delhi is likely to see clear skies and a maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius on Thursday, according to the forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
At 8.30 am on Thursday, the temperature was 31.2 degrees and the relative humidity was 56 per cent.
Another western disturbance is set to keep heatwave conditions at bay in Delhi at least till around May 25, according to the IMD’s forecast for the next six days. While the possibility of thunder and lightning, and a dust storm or thunderstorm are on the forecast for Friday and Saturday, Sunday could witness cloudy skies and light rainfall, the forecast indicates. Read more
The Assam Forest department has built around 40 artificial ‘highlands’ to provide shelter to animals in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR).
In neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, incessant rain triggered landslides snapping road connectivity in various parts of the state. Road connectivity between Itanagar and Ziro in Lower Subansiri district was disrupted after a massive landslide blocked the road, a PTI report said.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also said that the government had decided to run special flights between Silchar (in Cachar district) and Guwahati at a fixed rate of Rs 3,000 per ticket, based on an agreement with regional carrier FlyBig Airline.
The decision was taken after prices of air tickets soared to around Rs 30,000 a seat between the two cities, owing to the situation. Sarma said that the flights would give some reprieve to stranded passengers.
Sarma said that the Centre sanctioned Rs 1,000 crore for Assam for flood relief measures. Earlier on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to take stock of the situation, and assured that the Centre would provide the state with “all possible help”. Read more
As rains continue to batter Assam and parts of Northeast, more than 6 lakh people across 27 districts in the state have been displaced. On Wednesday, the death toll rose to 9, with one person drowning in floodwaters in Darrang district.
A bulletin from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that embankments were breached, roads and bridges destroyed, and school buildings damaged in various districts of the state. Nagaon is the worst-affected district where 2.88 lakh people have been affected. Small landslides continued to be reported in the hill district of Dima Hasao, rail and road connectivity to which was snapped on Monday. Connectivity to the state’s Barak Valley, which comprises the three districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi, has also been disrupted.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that efforts were on to restore connectivity to southern Assam, and that the government had air-dropped 4 metric tonnes of food in Dima Hasao.
Heatwave and pre-monsoon showers are likely to hit different parts of the state starting Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places are very likely in south Madhya Maharashtra, south Konkan and some districts of Marathwada.
While the next heatwave is likely in the north Madhya Maharashtra and Vidarbha districts from May 17 to 21, the IMD forecast said. According to the district forecast and warning issued by the IMD, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Parbhani, Hingoli, Nanded, Latur, Osmanabad are very likely to witness thunderstorm with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places on May 18 and 19. Whereas heatwave alert is issued for Akola and Amaravati districts till Sunday and in Yavatmal and Washim districts on May 18. Read more.
Eight-year-old Mehakpreet Singh, a resident of Patti Dullat village of Longowal block in Sangrur district, died on Monday afternoon. Family members said that the child, who was a student of class IV of Government primary school in Patti Dullat, got sick due to intense heat wave and couldn’t be saved despite being taken to different hospitals.
Kuldeep Singh Dullo, a relative of the deceased, said, “Mehakpreet fell sick on Monday morning and had started vomiting due to which we didn’t send him to school. He was taken to a local hospital and further to civil hospital, Sangrur, from where he was referred to Medical College, Patiala. However, he died on the way and doctors told us that he fell sick due to the intense heatwave.” Read more.
Heatwave and pre-monsoon showers are likely to hit different parts of the state starting Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places are very likely in south Madhya Maharashtra, south Konkan and some districts of Marathwada.
While the next heatwave is likely in the north Madhya Maharashtra and Vidarbha districts from May 17 to 21, the IMD forecast said. According to the district forecast and warning issued by the IMD, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Parbhani, Hingoli, Nanded, Latur, Osmanabad are very likely to witness thunderstorm with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places on May 18 and 19. Whereas heatwave alert is issued for Akola and Amaravati districts till Sunday and in Yavatmal and Washim districts on May 18. Read more.
As Yamuna water levels continued to dip, Delhi Water Minister Satyendar Jain said the river had dried up as the Haryana government was withholding water. Jain visited the Wazirabad barrage on Tuesday. However, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar said that Delhi is being given 1,050 cusecs of water as per its share.
Jain said the Wazirabad barrage was the most important reservoir of Delhi. “It is one of the most important water sources for North and West Delhi. Due to a lack of water supply from Haryana, the water treatment plants in Delhi are currently running at a fraction of their peak capability. As a result, Wazirabad WTP’s water production has decreased by 60-70 MGD (million gallons daily). The Yamuna has dried up as well due to the withholding of water by the Haryana government,” he said. Read more.