Monsoon arrives early in India as Delhi sees light rains, floods in Uttarakhand
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday announced the arrival of the Monsoon over the entire country, including Delhi, nine days ahead of schedule. According to the IMD, the monsoon has now covered the remaining parts of Rajasthan, West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and all of Delhi as of June 29, beating its usual timeline of July 8.The early onset brought light to moderate rain across Delhi-NCR on Saturday and Sunday, with showers and gusty winds reported in Rohini, Pitampura, Karawal Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Dwarka, IGI Airport and several other parts of the capital.advertisementNeighbouring areas in Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, including Noida, also saw scattered rain and thunderstorms, with wind speeds reaching up to 50 km/h in some places.
Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand, the Char Dham Yatra has been suspended for the next 24 hours following a red alert for heavy rainfall.Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey confirmed that pilgrims heading to Badrinath and Kedarnath are being stopped at Srinagar or Rudraprayag, while those bound for Yamunotri and Gangotri are being halted at Vikasnagar and Barkot. Pilgrims already at the shrines are being brought back under strict safety measures.The IMD has issued a red alert for today and tomorrow for Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Champawat, Bageshwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar, warning of extremely heavy rainfall. An orange alert has also been declared across Uttarakhand for July 1 and 2, with the weather office cautioning that people living in sensitive or low-lying areas face risks of waterlogging and landslides.advertisementIn Uttarkashi, a cloudburst near Silai Band in Barkot triggered a landslide at a hotel construction site early Saturday morning. According to District Magistrate Prashant Arya, nine labourers are missing after debris hit their shelter.Rescue operations by the State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, police and local administration are underway despite continuous rain. Landslides have also blocked stretches of the Yamunotri and Gangotri highways.Himachal Pradesh is also on alert, with the weather department's Hydromet Division warning of moderate to high flash flood risk in parts of Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan and Una districts over the next 24 hours. Heavy rainfall could trigger surface runoff and flooding in low-lying areas.Amid rising river levels, authorities in Mandi opened all five gates of the Pandoh Dam to release 36,000 cusecs of water following flushing at the Larji Dam upstream. Locals and tourists have been strictly advised to stay away from the Beas river banks due to the sudden surge.As North India braces for continued showers, local administrations in Delhi, Haryana, Himachal and Uttarakhand have urged residents to stay alert and avoid flood-prone or landslide-prone areas. The weather department has predicted more rain across the region in the next 24 hours.- EndsTrending Reel
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NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
2 Die After Cloudburst In Uttarakhand As Monsoon Covers Entire Country
New Delhi: A cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district early Sunday left two construction workers dead and seven missing as monsoon covered the entire country almost a week earlier than usual, bringing rain in the national capital and other northern states, triggering landslides in several hilly areas and sending rivers into spate. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy rainfall on June 29 and 30 in various districts of Uttarakhand, including Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Haridwar and Nainital. Authorities have put the Chardham yatra on hold for a day for the safety of pilgrims. The Shimla Meteorological Centre has also issued a red alert for very heavy downpour in 10 districts of Himachal Pradesh, where the death toll from rain-related incidents climbed to 20 since the onset of monsoon in the state on June 20. In Uttarakhand, a landslide triggered by a cloudburst destroyed the shelters of workers engaged in the construction of a hotel along the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district, officials said. There were 29 labourers at the campsite when the landslide occurred washing away around 10 metres of the highway. Twenty of them were evacuated to safety while nine went missing, the district emergency operation centre said. Bodies of two missing labourers were recovered from the banks of the Yamuna River near Tiladi Shaheed Smarak, about 18 km from the place where the landslide occurred, police said. The labourers are said to be of Nepalese origin. NDRF, SDRF and police personnel are carrying out search and rescue operations at the site, District Magistrate Prashant Arya said. The highway was blocked by landslide debris, he said, adding pilgrims returning from Yamunotri have been asked to stay at safe locations due to the blocked highway, he said. The Chardham Yatra has been postponed for a day as a precautionary step and a decision on further travel will be taken after reviewing the weather conditions along the routes on Monday, Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said. In Himachal Pradesh, three more deaths were reported in rain-related incidents since Saturday. One person each drowned in Una and Bilaspur districts while a person died after falling from a height in the Shimla district, according to the state emergency operation centre. Services on the Shimla-Kalka rail line -- a UNESCO world heritage -- were suspended on Sunday after boulders and trees fell on the tracks following overnight rains in Solan district. A bridge in Solan's Barotiwala industrial area was also washed away. A landslide near Koti on the Shimla-Kalka National Highway (NH-5), connecting Shimla and Chandigarh, damaged some stretches of the road, resulting in a two to three-km-long traffic jam for hours. Bald River in the Baddi area of the district is swelling and there are reports of water up to four feet entering over 20 houses in Shivalik Nagar in Jhadmajri. The water level in Mandi's Juni Khad and Beas River has increased and the local administration has appealed to people not to go to the river bank and stay alert. All five spillway gates of Pandoh Dam were opened on Sunday morning, resulting in an increase in water level in Beas River. The local met office cautioned of moderate to high flash flood risk in parts of 10 districts -- Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur and Una -- till Monday. According to IMD data, this is the earliest the monsoon has covered the entire country since 2020, when it did so by June 26. The monsoon arrived in Delhi two days after the normal date of June 27, the IMD said. "The monsoon has further advanced into remaining parts of Rajasthan, west Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and the entire Delhi today, June 29, 2025," the IMD said in a statement. According to the Met department, Chandigarh received 119.5 mm of rain in the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Sunday. Among other places in Punjab, rains lashed Ferozepur, Mohali, Ludhiana, Patiala, Pathankot and Rupnagar. The IMD said that heavy to very heavy rain is likely to continue in many parts of northwest, central, east and northeast India over the next seven days. The IMD on Sunday issued a 'red' alert, predicting extremely heavy rainfall in parts of Jharkhand till July 1, an official said. Jharkhand's capital Ranchi, which has been experiencing light to moderate rainfall since Sunday morning, is likely to receive heavy rainfall till the morning of July 2, the IMD official added. At least 162 students, trapped in an inundated private residential school in the state's East Singhbhum district after heavy rain, were rescued by the police on Sunday, a senior officer said. The students were stranded in the school located at Pandarsoli on the Haldipokhar-Kowali Road in Kowali police station area since Saturday night after the premises got flooded due to heavy rain. "We received information that 162 students of Lav Kush Residential School were trapped as the school premises were inundated due to heavy rain. As the school building was submerged, the teachers shifted all the students to the rooftop, where they spent the night. "On being informed around 5.30 am today, police officers and fire brigade teams rushed to the spot and rescued the students one by one with the help of villagers," Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rishabha Garg told PTI. Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday asked the officials of the disaster management department and district administrations to remain alert. Jharkhand has recorded 80 per cent surplus rainfall from June 1 to June 28. In Odisha, several rivers including Budhabalang, Subarnarekha, Jalaka and Sono are witnessing rising water levels and may cause flooding by Monday, an official warned. The state government has placed the Balasore district administration on high alert. Meanwhile, the railway link to Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram and southern Assam was partially restored on Sunday, six days after it was snapped due to landslides in the Lumding-Badarpur hill section of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), officials said. Limited train operations are being allowed for the time being, with normalisation of movement expected by Monday, they said. "The first goods train and first passenger train (Kanchenjunga Express) crossed the landslide-affected location at Jatinga Lampur after restoration," an NFR spokesperson said. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that besides rail connectivity, partial road communication through landslide-hit Dima Hasao district, mainly to Barak Valley in the southern part of the state, will be restored by Sunday. The rain-bearing system usually makes its onset over Kerala by June 1 and covers the entire country by July 8. It starts retreating from northwest India around September 17 and withdraws completely by October 15. This year, the monsoon reached Kerala on May 24, its earliest onset over the Indian mainland since 2009, when it arrived on May 23. Authorities opened 13 shutters of the Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala on Sunday, releasing water into the Periyar River as the water level neared full capacity. The water level rose due to the heavy rainfall in the dam's catchment areas over the past few days. Earlier, authorities had placed several villages on high alert. More than 20 relief camps have been set up, and local police and revenue officials have been instructed to assist with any necessary relocations. The monsoon is crucial for India's agriculture sector, which supports the livelihood of around 42 per cent of the population and contributes 18.2 per cent to the GDP. It also plays a key role in replenishing reservoirs essential for drinking water and power generation.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Uttarakhand: Search on for 7 missing workers after Uttarkashi cloudburst
Search and rescue operations are underway in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district after a cloudburst triggered a massive landslide near Barkot on Sunday, killing two workers and leaving seven others missing. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the disaster management department, and the local administration are continuing their search to trace the missing workers, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said. Addressing a press conference, CM Dhami said that 20 of the 29 people present at the site had been rescued safely. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo "The bodies of two people have been recovered. Search operations are ongoing," he said, adding that all district officials have been instructed to remain on high alert throughout the monsoon season. According to officials, the incident occurred near the Silai Band area on the Barkot-Yamunotri road, after a landslide triggered by a cloudburst demolished an under-construction hotel. Live Events Officials said that two bodies have been recovered so far, while efforts to locate the remaining missing workers were ongoing. "Bodies of two out of the nine workers have been recovered who went missing from an under-construction hotel, at Silai Band on the Barkot-Yamunatri road in Uttarkashi, after the cloud burst incident," Uttarkashi District Magistrate's office stated in a statement. "There have been landslides at two locations before Silai Band, and a washout of the road at one location," the statement added. Meanwhile, due to the severe weather conditions, the Char Dham Yatra has been suspended for 24 hours, officials said. CM Dhami stated that arrangements are being made for food, shelter, and accommodation for stranded pilgrims. "As soon as the weather improves, travel will resume. Until then, all necessary support is being provided," he added. Garhwal Division Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey told that pilgrims have been halted at key locations including Haridwar, Rishikesh, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Sonprayag, and Vikasnagar as a precaution. The suspension follows continuous heavy rainfall that has triggered disruptions across the hill state. The Badrinath National Highway, a main route for Kedarnath pilgrims, has been blocked near Nandprayag and Bhanerpani. In a post on X, Chamoli Police said, "The Badrinath National Highway is blocked near Nandprayag and Bhanerpani. Work is underway to open the road."
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Heavy rains lash Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand; IMD issues red and orange alerts
As the southwest monsoons have hit the Indian subcontinent, northern states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are lashed by heavy rains, with the India Meteorological Department(IMD) issuing red and orange alerts for both. IMD had forecasted prevailing wet conditions in both states for the next few days.(Keshav Singh/ Hindustan Times) The Shimla meteorological centre on Sunday issued a red alert for heavy rains across Bilapsur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Una, Kullu and Chamba districts. The Dehradun Meteorological Centre had earlier predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall for Jun 29 and 30. It has issued a red alert for Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar, and Haridwar districts. An orange alert has been issued for the remaining districts of the state. What restrictions are the states seeing? In Himachal Pradesh, railway movements along the Shimla-Kalka line were also suspended after boulders and trees fell on the tracks following overnight rains. Koti on the Shimla-Kalka National Highway (NH-5), connecting Shimla and Chandigarh, was hit by an earthquake, damaging stretches of the road. This triggered a traffic jam, which lasted for hours. Police teams later cleared the debris and facilitated traffic movement on the highway. In Solan, the road to Himuda Complex, Mandhala, and Bagguwala has been closed, after it was washed away. Bald River in the Baddi area of the district is on surge, accompanied by a threat of damage in the surrounding areas, where water up to four feet has reportedly entered several houses. In Uttarakhand, 'Roads might be closed to prevent landslide-related disasters, which will affect movement, ' said Dr. Vikram Singh, IMD Dehradun director. People are advised to travel only if required and avoid unnecessary movements. The Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district, is blocked by debris after being hit by a landslide, which was triggered by a cloudburst. The calamity claimed two labourers' lives who were working at a hotel construction site along the highway. Search operations are underway for the missing ones. How is Himachal and Uttarakhand's weather for the next few days? As fierce downpour continues in both states, warnings of landslides, water logging, damage to vulnerable structures, traffic congestion and disruption in essential services have been issued. In Himachal Pradesh, high flash flood risk persists in parts of Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, and Una till Jun 30. IMD has issued an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rains in isolated areas of the state on Monday and predicted a wet spell in the state till July 5. In Uttarakhand, the upcoming days will also be marked with a significant rise in water levels in the rivers, lakes, reservoirs and other water bodies, Singh said. He also urged people residing in vulnerable and low-lying areas, to be watchful, especially during the later hours of the day, and evacuate accordingly. Rainfall in Uttarakhand might see a negligible decline on July 1, as heavy downpours are predicted to continue in the state. Here, the IMD has issued an orange alert too, for July 1 and 2. What do IMD's red and orange alerts imply? Red and orange alerts are IMD's first and second levels in its four-tier warning system. A red alert represents the most severe weather warnings, indicating extremely heavy rainfall over 204.5 mm within 24 hours, posing a significant threat to life and property. The orange alert follows with comparatively lesser rainfall, with preparations for possible transportation disruptions, power outages, and landslides.
