The monsoon rains have had a severe impact on both lives and livelihoods in North India. Light rains were witnessed throughout the day in Delhi-NCR and nearby areas on Saturday. This led to severe traffic snarls due to waterlogging in several areas. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert for light to heavy rains for several states today, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Due to the heavy rainfall in the mountains, floods in rivers have become deadly in Uttar Pradesh. Water level in rivers in Chandauli, Mau, Farrukhabad, Kannauj and Hapur has reached alarming levels. An alert has been sounded for the low-lying areas and people living near water bodies have been evacuated.
In Bihar, floodwaters from the Ganges and Boodhi Gandak Rivers have entered several areas. The water level of the Ganges is rising rapidly in various places, submerging many areas. In Khagaria district, the Ganges at Khara Dhar Jaldwar is flowing 2 meters 4 cm above the danger mark. The Boodhi Gandak river at the NH-31 bridge (Aghori location) is 1 meter 73 cm above the danger mark. Seventeen panchayats in the district are affected by floods.
Yamuna nears danger mark in Delhi
The water level in Yamuna in Delhi has started suddenly increasing due to discharge from the Hathnikund barrage. Authorities have swung in action and initiated precautionary measures. People in low-lying areas have been advised to move to safer locations.
"Yamuna’s water level is rising rapidly. Please move to safer places with your children and families," the authorities made announcements on loudspeakers.
Delhi records the coldest August day in 14 years
In Delhi, Saturday marked the coldest August day in the last 14 years, with the maximum temperature recorded at 26.4°C, which is 7.8°C lower than the normal temperature. According to data from 2011 onwards, the previous lowest maximum temperature for August was 27.9°C in 2012, while the 2020 data is unavailable in IMD's records.
