Weather Update: Cars Swept Away In Flooded Junagadh; Heavy Rain Warnings In Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh - Top Points

As monsoon continued to wreak havoc across several parts of the country, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast more heavy rain in Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat and flood-affected Himachal Pradesh for the next few days.

The national capital witnessed chaotic scenes last week after the water level of Yamuna River reached an all-time high of 208.66 meters on July 13. While the water level had receded below the danger mark for a brief period, it once again breached the threshold, causing concern for the safety of thousands of residents.

Rains In India - Top Updates

1. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated areas in Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts for Sunday. 

2. According to the Yavatmal district administration, all the 110 citizens trapped in Anandnagar Tanda of Mahagaon taluka have been evacuated and taken to a safe place. The district, around 150 km from Nagpur, has been receiving heavy rains since Friday morning, leading to flooding in many areas and forcing evacuation of people.

3. The death toll due to a landslide in Irshalwadi village of Maharashtra’s Raigad district rose to 26 on Saturday after four more bodies were recovered from the debris, PTI reported. According to the Raigad district disaster management office, the village has a population of over 220. Of them, at least 85 persons are still missing.

The administration in Maharashtra’s Raigad district on Saturday imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in Irshalwadi, which will remain in effect till August 6. Constant rains, strong winds, and the menace of mosquitos adversely affect the work of search for the bodies, and the route has become marshy and there is a fear of another landslide in the region -- the order cited reasons for imposing prohibitory orders.

4. Gujarat too has been battered with heavy monsoon rains with flood-like situations in the multiple cities of the state. In Junagarh district, heavy rains led to cars being washed away by rivers. The IMD has issued red, orange, and yellow alerts for various Gujarat districts till 24 July. Over 200 mm of rainfall in a few hours on Saturday morning overwhelmed the drainage system in Navsari city, with water spilling onto roads and low-lying areas. Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel chaired a meeting to review the situation in the state following incessant rainfall.

5. Moderate to very heavy rains lashed parts of Himachal Pradesh since Friday, causing landslides, flash floods, and road accidents. Flash floods blocked roads and damaged houses, crops, and vehicles in Shimla and Kinnaur districts on Thursday, prompting authorities to postpone the Kinner Kailash Yatra. 

To address the immediate needs of people affected due to rain-related incidents in the state, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Saturday requested the Centre to release the state's pending disaster relief fund of over Rs 315 crore.

6. The water level in the Hathnikund barrage saw a rapid uptick on Saturday with rains lashing several parts of Punjab and Haryana in the past 24 hours. In the past 24 hours ending 8.30 am, Haryana's Ambala received 14.4 mm of rainfall while Rohtak received 14.2 mm and Kurukshetra recorded 12 mm, according to the weather department.

7. Rains continued to lash Telangana for the third day in a row causing water logging and traffic snarls at several localities in Hyderabad and inundating low-lying areas in some places in the state. In the temple town of Bhadrachalam, the first flood warning was issued as water level in Godavari river reached 43 ft at 3.19 PM. The third and final warning level is issued if the water level reaches 53 ft.