NEWS ABOUT RAINS NOW OR DROUGHT NOW, 2017-19

[20-9-2017]

BIHAR: HEAVY RAINS FILL DAM AND A PORTION BREAKS

A portion of dam in Bhagalpur’s Kahalgaon came down crashing. The

dam built at an estimated cost of Rs. 389 crores is a part of Gateshwar
Panth Canal Project which was planned to improve the land irrigation
system in the region.

Several low lying areas were flooded as the water from the collapsed
dam rushed into residential areas in Kahalgaon. The dam broke due to
release of water in full capacity.

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Karnataka:

Kabini dam nears brim. With water level in reservoir nearing its brim,
15,000 cusecs of water is being released into the Kapila River to Tamil
Nadu. The Kapila joins river Cauvery before crossing the border with Tamil
Nadu.

CHENNAI RUN OUT OF WATER

June 26, 2019

One of India’s largest cities, Chennai, is dealing with a crippling crisis: It

has run out of water. In the middle of a particularly hot summer, the four
lakes that supply the capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu have dried
up; together they contain just 1% of the volume they did last year.
Residents don’t have enough water to drink, bathe or wash clothes. People
are working from home; malls have closed their bathrooms; and
restaurants have shut their doors.

The natural instinct is to blame the situation on climate change and, indeed,
the last monsoon’s rains were especially weak. While that’s certainly
played a role, however, Chennai’s is largely a man-made disaster – one
that more Indian metropolises are soon to suffer no matter the weather.

According to a study by the federal government think tank NITI Aayog, 21

Indian cities will run out of groundwater by next year, including the capital
New Delhi and the information technology hub of Bengaluru. Two hundred

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thousand Indians already die every year because they don’t have a safe
water supply, the report said. A shocking 600 million people face “high to
extreme” water stress.

That Chennai should have run dry first is instructive. Less than four years
ago, the now drought-ridden city was inundated by devastating floods.
Though located on a flood plain, the city had paved over the lakes and
wetlands that might have helped the process of recharging the water table.
As a result, heavy rains couldn’t percolate into aquifers under the city.
Water pooled and surged aboveground. That reduced the resources
available to deal with a crisis like this year’s.

Elsewhere, demand is the issue. In theory, India receives enough rain

every year to meet the needs of over a billion people. According to the
country’s Central Water Commission, it requires at most 3,000 billion cubic
meters of water annually and receives 4,000 billion cubic meters of rain.

But too much water is wasted thanks to inefficiency and misuse. The
situation is particularly dire in India’s northwest, irrigated by the great rivers
that rise in the Himalayas. Indians are taught to revere the “green
revolution” of the 1970s, when the northwest became India’s granary
thanks to canals and tube wells that pumped out groundwater. That
revolution, however, has turned out to be unsustainable. In 2011, 245
billion cubic meters of water were withdrawn for irrigation — a quarter of
the total groundwater depletion globally that year.

Northwestern states should be growing less water-intensive crops; areas in

the east of the country that receive much more plentiful rainfall should take
their place as the bread baskets of India. But shifting cultivation patterns

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around is politically problematic. Farmers in the northwest don’t just expect
to continue to grow water-intensive crops, they also want free or subsidized
power with which to run the tube wells that pump out their rapidly depleting
groundwater.

Climate change activists have long argued that water will be the political
flashpoint of the 21st century. Water-stressed India will likely be one of the
first places to test that theory. The state of Tamil Nadu complains that it
doesn’t receive its fair share of the waters of the Cauvery River; recently,
the authority that nominally manages the river accused the government of
neighboring Karnataka of holding onto water that it should have allowed to
flow down to the Cauvery delta.

Things might get even testier up north, where more than a billion people
depend upon rivers that rise in the Himalayas. Bangladesh and Pakistan
feel that India is being stingy with river water. Indian strategists constantly
worry that China will divert water from the Himalayan rivers that rise in
Tibet to feed the thirst cities in its own north.

The floods in Chennai are a warning. As the world warms, the rains on
which India depends have become erratic: They frequently fail to arrive on
time, and they fall in a more disparate and unpredictable pattern. The
country can no longer afford to waste its dwindling resources.

A rapidly urbanizing and developing India needs to drought-proof its cities

and rationalize its farming. Water-harvesting must be a priority, alongside
mechanisms for groundwater replenishment. As it is, every summer is
hotter and less bearable. If Indians run short of water as well, one of the
world’s most populous nations could well become unlivable.

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CHENNAI: Chennai is staring at a severe water crisis in 2019-20.

June 20, 2019:

Chennai rains have finally returned to the city, ending a prolonged dry
period of 112 days. The state capital has been presently witnessing rains,
which are likely to stay for the next couple of hours. Rains started on a light
note but became intense soon. As per the rainfall data, Chennai has
recorded 29 mm of rains in span of mere three hours from 2:30 pm to 5:30
pm.

These showers also plunged the day maximums significantly from 41

degrees Celsius to 29 degrees Celsius at present.

Last time when Chennai saw the rains were on February 28 to the tune of 4
mm. According to weathermen, the reason for the return of rains could be
attributed to the low pressure area over North Bay of Bengal, off the Odisha

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coast. A trough is also running from this system along the East Coast. Both
the systems have made the conditions conducive for rains over Chennai.

Weathermen are predicting these rains to stay over Chennai for the next 2-
3 days, but these rains would be light in nature only.

Chennai water crises

However, these rains would not be able to bail out

Chennai from the ongoing acute water scarcity that the city
has been battling for the last many days. The situation has
become grimmer that local authorities have to cut short time
for schools after doing the same for hotels and offices.

Being a rain shadow area, Chennai does not record much rains
during the Southwest Monsoon. In fact, out of the four Monsoon months,
June receives the least of all to the tune of 55 mm. So far, the city has
recorded absolutely no rainfall. Even the leftover over 10 days would not be
able to recover the rainfall deficiency.

To be very precise, Chennai survives of Northeast Monsoon that

fetches 60% of the annual rainfall for the city. The season spans from
October to December, with November being the rainiest.

The ongoing water crisis in Chennai is a result of back to back failed

Monsoon and pre-Monsoon seasons. The Northeast Monsoon 2018 ended
with large rainfall deficiency to the tune of 44%, with Chennai being rain
deficient by 50%. In fact, the pre-Monsoon season 2019 also ended with a
rainfall deficiency of 25%. As a result, reservoir status are at record low.

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 Thus, picture does not seems to very comfortable as Monsoon rains
would not be able to help Chennai. The city has to depend on the other
resources for some help. The only hope of revival would be the Northeast
Monsoon 2019.

It is usually seen that Northeast Monsoon performs well during the El

Niño years. Besides this, unlike Southwest Monsoon, we do not get to see
two consecutive failed Northeast Monsoon seasons.

The reason for this crisis can be traced down to the poor rainfall
performance over the region in the last some time. Northeast Monsoon is
the backbone of rain for the state of Tamil Nadu. Last year the season set
in quite late over the region. And not just this, all the four months of the
Northeast Monsoon season underperformed in Chennai. The state of Tamil
Nadu was running rain deficient by 44%.

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 Post-Monsoon season did also not very suffice. Although, Southwest
Monsoon, is not the main rainy season for the state, but it has been terrible
till now in the last 15 days.

This cascading effect of accumulating rain deficiencies has led to a

drought like condition over the region.

Hyderabad Battered By 5 Hours Of Rain, 3 Killed

2-10-2017
Hyderabad: Five hours of heavy rain paralysed Hyderabad on Monday
evening as many parts of the city were flooded and the traffic came to a
standstill. Three people died due to the downpour.

A 28-year-old man and his six-month-old son were buried alive in Banjara
Hills after a wall came crumbling down on them. In the crowded Charminar
area in the old city, another man was electrocuted.

Many areas of the city saw waist-deep water and vehicles stranded in
water for hours. Residents coming back to the city after the long weekend
returned to utter chaos.

The weather office said it recorded monsoon rainfall of 67.6 millimetres

from 4:30 to 8:30 in the evening. The Met department said the city is likely
to witness rainfall today as well.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation said its personnel have

been working to drain out rainwater that had accumulated on the roads as
soon as possible.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who spoke with the

municipal corporation chief and also the city police head, said he has asked
the authorities to be alert for a few more hours. Mr Rao told the authorities

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to ensure the city did not suffer if it rained at night as well, the chief
minister's office said in a statement.

Hyderabad, however, did not see rainfall as high as Mumbai saw last
month. Earlier too on August 29, Mumbai received 331 mm rainfall in 24
hours, paralysing normal life in the metropolis.

Several people were stuck in their offices and on railway stations for more
than 12 hours as suburban train services were suspended after tracks were
submerged following heavy rains.

Mumbai on 20th Sept. 2017:-

HEAVY RAINS TO HAUNT CITY TRAFFIC IN MUMBAI

Three weeks after a deluge, rains returned to haunt Mumbai with the
maximum city receiving between 40mm and 130mm of rainfall on Tuesday.
The rains continued on Wednesday morning. Parts of Colaba, Churchgate,
CST, Dadar, Worli, Bandra, Santacruz, Vile Parle, Andheri, and Borivli
received very heavy rainfall from Tuesday afternoon onwards.

The Mumbai Airport extended closure of all flight operations on the

main runway till 2 pm as work on towing out stranded private airlines
aircraft continued amidst ongoing heavy rains, low visibility and strong
winds. A 22-member Zimbabwe Under-19 team which was supposed to
reach Mumbai yesterday, has been stranded at Nagpur’s Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar International Airport since Tuesday night, (reports news agency
PTI.) On Wednesday morning, BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta visited

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different parts of the city, including Hindmata Junction, to review the
situation. Khar subway has now been opened for traffic, say Mumbai police.
Water logging continued in Bandra at Railway colony on S V Road.
Diversion towards linking road of both directions.

Mumbai recorded 210 mm rainfall, suburbs 303 mm and Dahanu

recorded 304 mm rainfall, says IMD. At least 13 Mumbai-Delhi flights
delayed and 15 cancelled,[ reports news agency ANI.] Andheri, Dahisar
and Khar subway as well as Andheri station road closed due to
waterlogging for a significant period of time. Massive waterlogging reported
in areas of Borivali, Sion and Hindmata in Dadar, Goregaon, Andheri,
Kandivali, Malad, Kharghar, Mankhurd, and Bhandup.

According to data received from the Indian Meteorological

department (IMD) the Colaba weather station recorded 191mm of rainfall,
and the Santacruz station recorded 275mm of rainfall until 5.30 am on
Wednesday.

Flight operations at the Mumbai airport remain affected for the

second day today following heavy rains that continue to lash the
metropolis. As many as 56 flights have been diverted to different airports till
this morning as the main runway continues to be out of use due to the
SpiceJet aircraft stuck there, an airport official said.

Other than Rain

More and more cities are discovering that wastewater can be a

resource, not a liability, for purposes ranging from landscape irrigation to
drinking water. Several other unusual approaches are receiving more
attention, including large and small scale desalination technology, water
10
reclamation and reuse, and techniques such as fog collection. Matching
water demands with available waters of different quality can reduce water
supply constraints, increase system reliability, and solve costly wastewater
disposal problems.

Mumbai on 20th Sept. 2017:-

HEAVY RAINS TO HAUNT CITY TRAFFIC IN MUMBAI

Three weeks after a deluge, rains returned to haunt Mumbai with the
maximum city receiving between 40mm and 130mm of rainfall on Tuesday.
The rains continued on Wednesday morning. Parts of Colaba, Churchgate,
CST, Dadar, Worli, Bandra, Santacruz, Vile Parle, Andheri, and Borivli
received very heavy rainfall from Tuesday afternoon onwards.

The Mumbai Airport extended closure of all flight operations on the

main runway till 2 pm as work on towing out stranded private airlines
aircraft continued amidst ongoing heavy rains, low visibility and strong
winds. A 22-member Zimbabwe Under-19 team which was supposed to
reach Mumbai yesterday, has been stranded at Nagpur’s Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar International Airport since Tuesday night, (reports news agency
PTI.) On Wednesday morning, BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta visited
different parts of the city, including Hindmata Junction, to review the
situation. Khar subway has now been opened for traffic, say Mumbai police.
Water logging continued in Bandra at Railway colony on S V Road.
Diversion towards linking road of both directions.

Mumbai recorded 210 mm rainfall, suburbs 303 mm and Dahanu

recorded 304 mm rainfall, says IMD. At least 13 Mumbai-Delhi flights
delayed and 15 cancelled,[ reports news agency ANI.] Andheri, Dahisar
11
and Khar subway as well as Andheri station road closed due to
waterlogging for a significant period of time. Massive waterlogging reported
in areas of Borivali, Sion, Hindmata in Dadar, Goregaon, Andheri,
Kandivali, Malad, Kharghar, Mankhurd, and Bhandup.

According to data received from the Indian Meteorological

department (IMD) the Colaba weather station recorded 191mm of rainfall,
and the Santacruz station recorded 275mm of rainfall until 5.30 am on
Wednesday.

Flight operations at the Mumbai airport remain affected for the

second day today following heavy rains that continue to lash the
metropolis. As many as 56 flights have been diverted to different airports till
this morning as the main runway continues to be out of use due to the
SpiceJet aircraft stuck there, an airport official said.

Other than Rain

More and more cities are discovering that wastewater can be a

resource, not a liability, for purposes ranging from landscape irrigation to
drinking water. Several other unusual approaches are receiving more
attention, including large and small scale desalination technology, water
reclamation and reuse, and techniques such as fog collection. Matching
water demands with available waters of different quality can reduce water
supply constraints, increase system reliability, and solve costly wastewater
disposal problems.

12
Mumbai, July 2, 2019-Tuesday:

Mumbai: 16 dead in rain-related accidents, govt. declares

public holiday:
As many as 16 people were killed overnight due to rain-related accidents in
Mumbai and Thane as the city witnessed massive rainfall in the 48 hours.

As a precautionary measure, the Maharashtra government has declared a

public holiday on July 2 (Tuesday).

In a late night order, the municipal commissioner announced that all the
schools and colleges will remain shut on Tuesday.

The city remained on edge as it received the highest rainfall in a decade,

affecting long-distance trains and flights.

In the wake of extremely heavy rainfall in Mumbai, 12 people were dead

while 13 were injured as a wall collapsed on hutments in Pimpripada area
of Malad East on early Tuesday morning.

While the Injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, sources said many were
feared to be trapped under the debris.

Live weather update:

Sources also said National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was
sent to the spot and rescue operation is underway.

"In the coming 4-5 days monsoon will be vigorous in Maharashtra,

especially in the northern parts of the state, it will also be active in the
southern parts of the state. Konkan Goa will get widespread rain during

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these 5 days," said Anupam Kashyap, India Meteorological Department
(IMD) Pune.

Juhu Beach, Mumbai, India

Garbage piling up on the shores of Juhu Beach is a serious problem that’s

not going away, despite extensive beach cleaning efforts by residents. A
variety of solutions have been suggested, including a large machine that
will comb the beach of trash and oil.

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Chennai: 2017 & 2019
In 2017, it was’ Rain, Rain, Go Away, Come again another day’

in Tamil Nadu and In 2019, it is ‘Rain, Rain, Come today.’

2017: Respite from rain in Tamil Nadu

Press Trust of India, Chennai, Nov 2 2017, 15:59 IST

The sun came out and dispelled dark clouds over the city and surrounding
regions on Thursday, bringing relief to the people after two days of heavy
rain that flooded many low-lying areas.

The weather office here forecast moderate to heavy rainfall in parts of

Tamil Nadu over the next two days and said a low pressure had formed
over the southwest bay of the Sri Lanka coast.

The let up in the downpour in Chennai and the neighbouring districts of

Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram came as a respite to the residents as heavy
rain had thrown life out of gear, leading to flooded areas and traffic snarls.

However, the government has ordered that schools remain closed in these
three districts.

S Balachandran, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, said the heaviest

rainfall was in Palayamkottai (Tirunelveli district), which recorded 13 cm of
rainfall in the last 24 hours till 8.30 am today (Thursday), according to
statistics provided by the Regional Meteorological Centre.

Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi district recorded 9 cm of rain, while Chennai

received 4 cm of rain, he told reporters.

"A low pressure has formed over the southwest Bay of Sri Lanka coast.
During the last 24 hours, fairly widespread rainfall occurred over Tamil

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Nadu," he said.

In the next two days, moderate rainfall was expected in many places in
South Tamil Nadu and a few areas in the northern coastal parts of the
state, he said

On Friday, November 3, 2017, and next two days

Chennai rains occurred in the state capital during the last three days.
During this period, heavy showers were witnessed over the capital city of
Tamil Nadu with three-digit rains making lives miserable for several across
the city.

Around 170 mm of rains were seen at the Minambakkam observatory while

Nungambakkam observatory also saw heavy rains to the tune of 116 mm
two days ago. Heavy showers reminded the residents of the catastrophe
that had wreaked havoc over Chennaiites in the year 2015.

The city did not witness very heavy showers yesterday. Only 41 mm
of rains were recorded both day before and yesterday, heavy rainfall
activity has picked up pace to quite an extent. IVery heavy showers have
been witnessed and showers continue to lash the city now.

Since 8:30 am, Chennai has already recorded a whopping 159 mm of

rainfall and more showers are on their way over the capital city of Tamil
Nadu. Many areas of Chennai including Kelambakkam, T Nagar, Baby
Nagar, Velacherry, GN Chetty Road and several other areas have been
waterlogged.

People were not well prepared like the city of Chennai for a deluge
which had wreaked havoc over the city during the year 2015. Nature’s fury
will be blamed for the rains in Chennai, the government and the people will

16
not admit that they play equal part in sharing the blame. Rains are
expected to continue throughout the night. The flooding situation will only
get worse. Power cuts have been reported in many parts of the city and
localized flooding has also been witnessed in most parts.

Office goers are still stranded and many have not been able to reach
home due to these rains over the city of Chennai. 90 percent of monthly
rains recorded in just 4 days.

The flooding Chennai rains wreaks havoc over the city taking the
death toll reportedly to 12 so far. Torrential rains have paralyzed most parts
of the city wherein, most of the routes are inundated under flooding rains
causing the traffic to crawl and creating trouble for locals.

These rains occurred in sheets till late Friday night and with a gap of
a few hours, these rains are expected to continue battering the city. In fact,
the Thursday night’s rains of 183 mm were the second-highest in a single
day for the month which was followed by 246.5 mm of heavy showers in
2015. In the last 24 hours from 08:30 am as on [3rd Nov.] Friday, both the
city’s observatories Nungambakkam and Minambakkam recorded heavy
rains to the tune of 65.8 mm and 62 mm respectively. With this, the city has
already recorded a whopping 331 mm of rains as against its monthly target
of 374.4 mm, recording approx. 90% of its monthly rainfall just in 4 days.

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The reason for the non-stop rainfall over the capital city of Tamil Nadu can
be attributed to the low-pressure area which is over Sri Lanka and adjoining
Coast. This system is expected to persist over the area and weaken
gradually.

As per weathermen, heavy rainfall is expected to continue over Chennai

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and its adjoining areas for at least two to three days.

November 5: Heavy showers are expected to take a slight break as

morning and afternoon will be slightly better in terms of rain. However,
evening onward, rainfall activity is expected to pick up pace. Thus,
moderate to heavy rainfall is expected to occur during the night and will
continue until morning.

November 6: No breaks in rains are expected over the city of Chennai

during this day. Thus, moderate to heavy rainfall activity will occur over the
city throughout the day. The night will also not provide much relief and
showers will continue until the morning hours.

Please Note: Any information picked from here must be attributed to

skymetweather.com

Tamil Nadu

The weather department has predicted rain or thundershowers over

coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry till Monday [6th Nov.] Districts like
Villupuram, Tiruvallur and Tiruvarur continued to be lashed by rains.

Commuters had a harrowing time due to delayed services of buses and

trains and severe traffic snarls. Mild rainfall was recorded in some areas in
the state, moderate in others and heavy in some pockets.

In the state capital Chennai, schools and colleges, closed since October
31, were shut today as well and several university exams were postponed.
Power supply was suspended in inundated areas such as parts of MKB
Nagar in North Chennai, pockets of Madipakkam in South Chennai and
Karapakkam off Porur in Western Chennai to ensure safety.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami had on Thursday visited many waterlogged

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parts of the city and its suburbs, insisting that his government was working
on a “war-footing”. He was accompanied by his deputy O Panneerslevam
and senior officials.

Although most of the water-logging has been cleared in Chennai, low-lying

areas and the suburbs of the capital continue to be water-logged.

More than 10,000 people have taken shelter in over 105 relief camps in
Chennai and other parts of coastal Tamil Nadu, a government release said.

Volunteers distribute food to residents in flooded areas. (PTI)

By 8.30 am on Friday, Chennai had already recorded 554.2mm of rainfall

this year, or 74% of the long-term average of 750mm it receives annually in
the rainy season, that is calculated from October 1 and December 15

Between Thursday evening and Friday morning, parts of Chennai received

as much as 140 mm of rain. Thursday’s rain was Chennai’s third-highest in
history in a single day for November, behind only 452.2mm in 1976 and
246.15mm in 2015.

Meanwhile, a Met bulletin said the low pressure area over southwest Bay of
Bengal, adjoining Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu coast and the associated
cyclonic circulation extending upto 3.1 km above mean sea level continued
to persist.

The Marina Beach area recorded a whopping 30 cm of precipitation.Parts

of the beach were submerged under water, as people tried to make their
way around.

The heavy deluge has brought back memories of the deadly December
2015 deluge in Chennai, where 500 people died. The city had ground to a
halt because of the floods then, and the subsequent clean up took months.

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The torrential rainfall in 2015 was the result of the El Nino effect, but
Chennai’s unchecked urban development, loss of wetland and poor
drainage exacerbated the situation.

Tuesday, July 2, 2019.

Chennai water crisis: In dire drought, no quarrels in this part of

Anakaputhur

CHENNAI: This serpentine queue of coloured pots at Sannathi Street in

Anakaputhur has become a daily occurrence.

Women, men and children across age groups diligently wait, guarding their
respective plastic pots until the water tanker makes an appearance.

The initials of those who own each pot are written in bright bold blue ink,
visible from even a few metres away. This is how precious and rare the
sight of water has become in the suburbs.

From the time the common hand-pump went dry a month ago, the 300-odd
residents of Sannathi Street wait for approximately three hours, twice a

21
day, to fill a few pots of water.

Instead of quarrelling over who gets to fill water from the tanker first, locals
pile up their pots in a neat long line.

“This is the first time that the water crisis has gotten so severe since 1989.
Though we get water from tankers twice every day, it is hardly sufficient,”
said Manikandan, a long-time resident.

Before the Chembarambakkam reservoir dried up, residents in the suburbs

including Anakaputhur were supplied with sufficient water.

“Two months ago when summer started, the reservoir had no water. This is
when the government started tapping water from quarries in
Sikkarayapuram. But this goes straight to the city depriving us of water
even for basic needs,” said Ramesh, another resident.

Especially after schools reopened, locals said they hardly get time to wait
for tankers in the morning. Because of this and erratic supply, residents
have switched to buying packaged water cans.

“We don’t know whether to get our kids ready for school or wait for hours to
get water. On top of waiting in the hot sun, each family spends Rs. 120-Rs
150 on can water alone. This is very expensive for people who are daily
wage labourers,” said Ravi, a resident.

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Rains lash Delhi - NCR, IMD predicts showers for next two days

July 17, 2019

Delhi-NCR woke up to heavy rains lashing the city on July 17, Wednesday
morning. The India Meteorological Department has also predicted rains for
Thursday as well. Delhi witnessed showers for a third straight day in several
areas with overcast conditions.

Monsoon rains have triggered floods and landslides across India,

Nepal and Bangladesh in which over 100 people have been killed and
millions displaced.

(Pictured) Villagers travel on a boat near a submerged house in

Balimukh village, India, on July 15. 2019.

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 July 17, 2019 - The number of people affected by the Assam floods
rose to 52 lakh today, with as many as 1.5 lakh being moved to relief
centres amid a red alert issued by the government. Five more died today,
taking the total number of people killed in the floods to 20, even as the
Indian Army was called in to assist in rescue operations.

Authorities in Kerala have issued alerts across the state anticipating

heavy rains in the next few days. The India Meteorological department
(IMD) in its latest weather forecast has said very to very heavy rains are
expected in Kerala

Besides this, IMD said the sea along the Malabar Coast in Kerala is
expected to be very rough. This corresponds with the strengthening of
monsoon in Southern India.

The state disaster management authority has issued red, yellow and
orange alerts in various districts of the state. Red alert denotes likelihood of
very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.

The districts where red alert has been issued are:

Idukki (18, 19 and 20 July)

Malappuram (18, 19 and 20 July)

Wayanad and Kannur (19 July)

Ernakulam and Thrissur (July 20)

Meanwhile, the state disaster authority has issued orange and yellow
alerts in all districts. These alerts are issued from July 18 to July 20.

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 Last year, Kerala suffered the worst rain-related tragedy in 100 years.
Hundreds were killed and daily life in Kerala remained out of order for
nearly a month. Basic supplies were hit and transportation lines badly
damaged. Even air services had to be called off as many airports were
flooded.

The Army, Navy and Air Force, along with NDRF and state authorities
carried out nearly a month-long relief and rescue operation to restore some
normalcy in the state.

*****

Tuesday- 23July-2019

Heavy rain in Coastal districts- Red Alert

D-K likely to get over 200mm rain; schools, colleges declare holiday today.

IMD has issued the Red alert to coastal districts and Kodagu forecasting
heavy to very rain on Tuesday.

Many parts of Uttar Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district

experiencing heavy showers since Monday morning. Heavy rain is
expected to continue on Wednesday also.

Incessant showers flooded National highway 66 near Baithkhol,

Honnavar and Bhatkal in Uttar Kannada, affecting vehicular movement.

A full grown banyan tree at Karki near Honnavar fell on NH-66 on

Sunday night, blocking traffic for 11 hours. The traffic was cleared only at 9
am Monday.

Holiday declared
30
A government school at Amadalli in Karwar taluk has declared holiday on
Monday afternoon after the road leading into the school was flooded.

Bhatkal town and parts of the taluk have been witnessing downpour
since morning. Heavy rain in the last two days has thrown life in Bhatkal
out of gear. Many residents in the low lying areas have lost foodgrains,
household utensils and electric equipment after rainwater gushed into their
houses.

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Saturday, July 27, 2019

Mumbai rains: Flights delayed, traffic affected as heavy rains lash city

Normal life in Mumbai was affected as heavy rains lashed the financial
capital on Friday, bringing the temperatures down to 25 degrees. The
heavy downpour also caused waterlogging and traffic snarls in several
parts of the city. The heavy rains also led to flights being delayed by about
30 minutes at the Mumbai airport.

The Mumbai Police also tweeted asking people to keep away from the sea
and not venture in waterlogged areas as the city is expecting intermittent
heavy showers all through the night.

In a series of tweets, the Mumbai Police also reported that traffic is moving
slow due to heavy showers and waterlogging has been reported at Bandra
Bridge towards Centaur Bridge (north bound), Nehru Nagar, Near Kurla
East Railway Station, Andheri/Khar/Ram Nagar subway, among other
places.

Intense spells of rain are likely to continue in the districts of Thane, Raigad
and Mumbai during next four hours, the India Meteorological Department
(IMD) issued a statement on Friday evening.

Several Twitter users compared the rains to July 26, 2005, showers during
which the city received 944 mm rainfall in a single day. The intensity of rain
was so high that Mumbai received more rains on a single day than what
many parts of the country receive in an entire year. The floods killed over
1000 people, and the whole city came to a standstill.

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The IMD, in its Friday bulletin, predicted "heavy rain" in Mumbai and added
that Maharashtra could witness "heavy to very heavy rainfall" during the
next five days.

"Rainfall in last 24 hrs at morning 6.30 am today in Mumbai and around.

Few stations reported heavy rainfall in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Rest it
was moderate as expected. Today watch for more rains," KS Hosalikar,
Deputy Director General (DDG), IMD tweeted.

"Weather Forecast by IMD at 08:00 hours - intermittent rain/showers with

heavy falls in city and suburbs during night/early morning," BMC tweeted.

Earlier, rainfall in Mumbai inundated several areas across the city including
Sion, Matunga, Mahim, Andheri, Malad and Dahisar causing huge traffic
snarls at major junctions.

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