Record heat bakes China: Power grid strained, health fears rise
Authorities will send alerts to notify electricity suppliers if tactics such as peak-shaving and cross-regional dispatching of power are called for, added Chen, an official of the China Meteorological Administration.Since mid-March, the number of days when temperatures hit 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) or more is the highest on record, said Jia Xiaolong, deputy director of the National Climate Centre.Authorities asked the elderly to stay indoors unless necessary, while urging outdoor workers to scale down activity on such "sauna days".Temperatures have hit new highs since mid-March in the central provinces of Henan and Hubei, Shandong in the east, Sichuan in the southwest, and northwestern Shaanxi and Xinjiang, pushing the national average to the second highest on record.During the last two weeks, 152 national weather observatories tracked temperatures above 40 degrees C (104 F) with one in Xinjiang reaching 48.7 degrees C (119.7 F), Jia said.He did not rule out the chance of more record-breaking heat, saying August could prove as warm as, or even hotter than, in recent years.- EndsMust Watch
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India Today
6 hours ago
- India Today
Kedarnath Yatra halted as Uttarakhand hit by landslides, flash floods
Heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand has triggered a series of landslides and flash floods, severely disrupting the Char Dham Yatra and affecting local life across multiple districts. The Kedarnath yatra was also temporarily halted after the path was blocked due to a landslide. In Rudraprayag, the pedestrian route from Gaurikund to Kedarnath was shut around 3.30 am on Saturday after a landslide blocked the path with falling debris and boulders. Authorities have halted movement on the stretch, and work is underway to clear the Saturday morning, the Rumsi stream in the Bedu Bagad area of Agastyamuni overflowed due to the relentless rain. Several houses, hotels, and parking areas near the Kedarnath highway were flooded. The gushing water, carrying mud and debris, created flash flood-like conditions. Residents said the stream swelled without warning and pushed a heavy flow of silt and rubble into nearby homes and hotels along the highway sustained damage, and many vehicles were buried under debris. Two-wheelers were reportedly submerged, and efforts are ongoing to recover Uttarkashi, about a 100-metre stretch of the Yamunotri National Highway caved in near Phoolchatti on Friday, cutting off all vehicular Bageshwar district recorded over 74 mm of rainfall in the Kapkot block on Friday evening. Nine roads in the area were blocked due to landslides, and 57 JCB machines have been deployed for clearance and relief Tehri's Balganga tehsil, a large tree collapsed on the road near Nageshwar Saud on Saturday morning after overnight rainfall weakened its has obstructed the Uttarkashi-Kedarnath Char Dham motor route, disrupting movement for Kanwar pilgrims, Char Dham yatris, and local Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for heavy rain in Dehradun, Tehri, Nainital, Bageshwar, and Champawat over the next 48 hours, while a yellow alert is in place for the remaining have urged locals and pilgrims to check weather updates before travelling, as routes remain dangerous due to the continued downpour.- EndsMust Watch
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Business Standard
6 hours ago
- Business Standard
Weatherman predicts light rain, cloudy skies & high humidity in Delhi today
IMD forecasts light to moderate rain with thunderstorms in Delhi till month-end; more rainfall may bring relief from humid conditions Apexa Rai New Delhi Delhi residents continued to face discomfort on Saturday morning as humidity levels remained high following hot weather and the lack of rainfall a day before. The brief respite brought by the July-23 rain was short-lived, offering only temporary relief before conditions quickly returned to being hot and humid. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more rain for July 26. The forecast suggests a partly cloudy sky with chances of light to moderate showers, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning. Maximum temperatures are expected to range between 34 and 36 degrees Celsius, while the minimum may hover around 27 degrees Celsius. Air quality dips, but remains moderate Delhi's air quality showed a slight decline, but remained in the 'satisfactory' category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 86 at 10 am on July 26. Light rain and cloudy skies likely to continue No significant weather warnings have been issued for the capital over the next few days. Light to moderate showers, accompanied by occasional thunderstorms, are expected to persist until the end of the month. Skies will remain mostly cloudy, keeping temperatures relatively lower. Humidity levels will fluctuate depending on the timing and intensity of rainfall. Kerala battered by overnight downpour Meanwhile, intense rainfall since Friday night caused widespread damage across parts of Kerala. Water levels in rivers and reservoirs surged, prompting the IMD to issue an orange alert in seven districts: Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, and Kozhikode. An orange alert denotes the possibility of very heavy rainfall, between 11 cm and 20 cm within 24 hours. In Kozhikode, strong winds and heavy overnight rain uprooted trees and damaged homes and vehicles. Power lines were also brought down, leading to electricity outages. Similar incidents were reported in Kottayam and Kannur. IMD issues red alert for parts of Maharashtra The IMD also sounded warnings for parts of Maharashtra, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in the coastal Konkan region, including Mumbai, and the hilly terrain of Pune, Satara, and Nashik on July 26. A red alert was issued for Palghar district, while an orange alert was issued for Mumbai, Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg. In the Western Ghats, a red alert was declared for the ghat areas of Pune, with an orange alert for the hilly zones of Nashik and Satara.
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Brisk rain marks start of Lko weekend, more in store
Friday rain caused havoc not just in Lucknow but in adjoining areas too. Due to the rain a portion of a prominent building in Gomti Nagar collapsed in which a person was killed. A tree fell over a few vehicles near Burlington Crossing, and water-logging on Sultanpur Road caused traffic jams, making commuters' life difficult. A tree fell near the Ahuja Hospital located in Vivek Khand area in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, on Friday (Deepak Gupta/HT) Lucknow recorded 7.2 mm rainfall that left several areas inundated with rain water that caused inconvenience to commuters. After Friday's rain, the rain deficit in Uttar Pradesh was pegged at 6%. The state has experienced 285.4 mm rainfall since June 1 against normal 304.1 mm. So far East UP received 253.8 mm rainfall against normal of 331.7 mm, deficit of 23%, while West UP got 330.7 mm rainfall against normal 265.6 mm, surplus 24%, according to data shared by Lucknow Met office. The forecast for Lucknow for Saturday is partly cloudy becoming generally cloudy sky towards afternoon/evening with one or two spells of rain/thundershower. The maximum and minimum temperature will be around 35 and 28 degrees Celsius, respectively. Prayagraj received a maximum of 58.8 mm rainfall, Basti 53 mm, Churk 37.2 mm, Fursatganj 29 mm, Bahraich 11.8 mm. Trees uprooted, streets water-logged The rain uprooted trees, flooded major roads, and halted traffic in multiple areas of the state capital. The downpour, which began around 4 pm, exposed the poor drainage and rain preparedness of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) in the state capital. During HT's visit, multiple areas witnessed road blockages due to fallen trees. Near Maharana Pratap intersection on the route towards Sadar, a tree collapsed in the middle of the road, hampering traffic flow. A similar situation was reported from Vipul Khand, where another tree fell. In the busy Vibhuti Khand area, large portions of the road were submerged and experienced water-logging, creating difficulties for two-wheeler riders. The Clock Tower stretch in Old Lucknow, too, was hit hard, with heavy water-logging bringing vehicular movement to a halt. In Shankarpurwa ward, residents shared videos of water-logged streets and overflowing sewers. Close to the City Station, yet another tree falling led to traffic diversions, and many passengers had to take longer routes to reach the railway station. When contacted by Hindustan Times, municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar said that all teams are deployed on the ground, and wherever complaints of water-logging or uprooted trees blocking roads are being received, teams are being rushed to clear the spot. Lucknow crawls Traffic crawled at a snail's pace and major routes witnessed bumper-to-bumper traffic with people stuck in the jam for hours. Areas like Gomti Nagar, Kamta, Chinhat, the entire Faizabad Road stretch, Shaheed Path, Kathutha Crossing, Hussainganj, Hazratganj, and several parts of Old City saw major traffic snarls. The Lucknow traffic department on its official X handle informed that traffic police were on their toes as trees fell in several spots. In Gomti Nagar, a tree fell near the Taj Hotel, blocking part of the road. On Airforce Station Road, another tree came crashing down on a car. Luckily, no one was hurt. Widespread power outages The rain also exposed the fragile state of Lucknow's power infrastructure. Several areas plunged into darkness for hours as multiple feeders and power lines broke down in the downpour. Areas such as Gomti Nagar Extension, Power House Sector 1, Khargapur, Vinay Khand-3, Patrakar Puram, Kohinoor Apartment (Chinhat), and Sai Residency (Chinhat) experienced prolonged blackouts shortly after the rains began. In Naubasta Kalan, the situation was especially dire, with five electric poles collapsing, cutting off power completely. The Railway Power House Chander Nagar feeder was also affected, with supply resuming only after a five-hour outage. Similarly, the Engineering College feeder and a 33 kV line supplying Khurram Nagar also failed, leaving Jankipuram Feeder-1 down for nearly half the day due to a tree falling. Central parts of the city such as Mahanagar, Nirala Nagar, Daliganj, Ahibaranpur, and the Priyadarshini Powerhouse zone were not spared either, experiencing disruptions lasting three hours. Officials from the Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (LESA) attributed the breakdowns to fallen trees and electric poles due to the storm.
