Weather Today Highlights: Rains wreak havoc in Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu; IMD forecasts downpour in Odisha

Rain fury eased in several parts of the country on Saturday; however, destruction prevailed in its wake, with the death toll in Assam mounting to 98, mobility paralysed with 153 roads blocked in Himachal Pradesh and hundreds in Kerala staying put in relief camps due to damage to houses and roads.

In Assam, more than 1.55 lakh people remained affected by floods, with the toll in this year's deluge reaching 98 with one more fatality, officials said on Saturday.

Even as 13 districts remained affected, the government will, from Sunday, launch an assessment of damage caused by the deluge to expedite release of funds for permanent rehabilitation in the four worst-hit districts in the eastern part of the state.

Marking a four-day streak of showers, the national capital on Saturday recorded its wettest August day in two years, with the month's rainfall total nearly reaching the monthly average in just the first eight days.

— PTI

The IMD on Saturday forecast heavy rainfall in Odisha in the next five days as a low pressure has formed in the Bay of Bengal.

The IMD in its evening bulletin said the low pressure area developed at 8.30 am on August 8 in the Bay of Bengal.

"Under its influence, extremely heavy rainfall is expected to take place at isolated places over parts of north and west Odisha," the IMD said.

Meteorological Center, Bhubaneswar, director Manoranma Mohanty said that the IMD has issued an "orange warning" (Be prepared to take action) of heavy to very heavy rainfall for some places over the districts of Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh and Sambalpur by 8.30 am on Sunday. It also forecast heavy rainfall in the remaining 26 districts.

— PTI

Rain lashed several parts of Chengalpattu city in Tamil Nadu.

The Yamuna water level at the Kalindi Kunj Okhla Barrage reached around 202 meters following heavy monsoon rains and upstream discharges in Delhi, as per ANI.

Heavy rainfall was recorded at several places in Rajasthan as the southwest monsoon remained active over the state, the meteorological centre here said on Saturday.

Heavy rain was recorded in parts of Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa, Khairthal-Tijara, Kotputli-Behror, Jhunjhunu, Churu and Didwana-Kuchaman districts during a period of 24 hours ending on Saturday morning.

Thanagazi in Alwar recorded the highest rainfall of 93 mm during the period while Dausa recorded 17.5 mm and Churu 11 mm from Saturday morning to evening.

The meteorological centre said monsoon conditions were likely to remain active over most parts of eastern Rajasthan during the next week.

— PTI

The pilgrimage to Madhyamaheshwar Temple, located at an altitude of 11,473 feet in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, has been temporarily suspended with immediate effect due to adverse weather conditions, landslides and safety risks, officials said on Saturday.

Rudraprayag District Magistrate Vishal Mishra issued these orders after officials assessed the trek to Madhyamaheshwar as risky based on their reports.

The 14.5-kilometre trek to Madhyamaheshwar, the second of the Panch Kedars, has remained hazardous due to construction work and landslides, officials said.

They alleged that many devotees and travellers have been ignoring safety warnings by forcibly passing through landslide-affected areas and attempting to take photos and selfies at dangerous locations, posing a risk of serious accidents.

Additionally, a temporary wooden bridge built over the Markanda river in Bantoli was recently washed away following a rise in water levels. Pilgrims are now being ferried across the river using a trolley system at this location.

Officials said the trolley, capable of carrying two people at a time, has also been strained by the arrival of a large number of devotees during the Sawan month and Kanwar Yatra.

Security concerns have also increased due to instances of travellers misbehaving with trolley operators and workers, alongside the rush to take photos, they said.

The Public Works Department (PWD) said it would take at least two to three days to repair and maintain the trolley system for safe operation.

— PTI

The Amarnath Yatra was suspended from Jammu on Saturday amid inclement weather, a forecast of heavy rain over the next few days and a decline in pilgrim arrivals, officials said.

No fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed to leave the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the Kashmir Valley this morning, they said.

Officials said the administration is monitoring the situation and will review the movement of pilgrims based on the weather and the condition of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country.

More than 4.75 lakh pilgrims have so far visited the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the Kashmir Himalayas since the Yatra began on July 3. The 57-day pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.

— PTI

Rains continued in several parts of Kerala on Saturday, with floodwaters receding only gradually in many areas and hundreds of people still staying in relief camps as several roads and houses remained inundated.

The Upper Kuttanad and Kuttanad regions of Alappuzha and interior areas of Kottayam district continued to bear the brunt of the flooding, though water levels had started receding at several places, officials said.

Floodwaters were receding only marginally in some areas and several residents remained stranded or affected as their houses and roads were still underwater.

Major roads, including the Alappuzha-Changanassery road, remained inundated, disrupting traffic in the region. Small boats were being used to ferry people and shift essential belongings from waterlogged areas.

With the flood situation yet to normalise completely, hundreds of people continued to stay in relief camps in several south and central districts.

In coastal areas, high waves, sea incursion and strong winds kept fishermen off the sea.

Sea conditions remained particularly rough at Uduma in Kasaragod, where several coconut trees were uprooted amid the strong winds and rough weather.

— PTI

At least seven people were killed and 11 others injured after a private bus skidded off the road and met with an accident near Chalunj Mor in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district on Saturday morning, as incessant monsoon rains continued to disrupt road connectivity and essential services across the state.

According to officials of the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), the accident involving a Sharma Bus occurred at around 7:15 am under Patwar Circle Bairagarh.

All 11 injured passengers were evacuated and shifted to nearby health facilities. Six of the critically injured were subsequently referred to Pt Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College and Hospital in Chamba for specialised treatment.

A multi-agency search and rescue operation has been launched at the accident site, involving personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Police, Home Guards, Fire Services and the Revenue Department.

— ANI

The IMD issued an orange alert in Delhi. It predicted, “Generally cloudy sky. Very light to light rain with moderate rain during forenoon to evening. Another spell of very light to light rain towards night.”

Rains continued in several parts of Kerala on Saturday, prolonging waterlogging and inundation in many districts, while the IMD forecast moderate rainfall at isolated places in seven districts in the morning.

Moderate rainfall accompanied by winds reaching up to 30 kmph is very likely at isolated places in Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, the India Meteorological Department said.

Light rainfall is likely at isolated places in the remaining districts, it said.

Heavy rain leads to waterlogging in parts of the national capital. Visuals from Lal Kuan, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road.

Heavy rainfall lashed the Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the Urban Meteorological Services for Delhi - NCR, a red alert has been issued in Gurugram on Saturday, August 8.

The national Capital saw a slight decrease in the minimum temperature on Saturday, even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for the day, forecasting light to moderate rain.

Safdarjung, representing the city's weather, recorded a minimum temperature of 24.7 degrees Celsius, 2.2 degrees below normal and a 0.9-degree decrease from the previous day. Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 22.5 degrees Celsius, a 0.7-degree decrease from the previous day; Lodhi Road recorded a minimum of 24.4 degrees Celsius; Ayanagar recorded a minimum of 24.7 degrees, a 0.1-degree decrease from the previous day.