North India's monsoon has turned intense, with heavy rain, flooding and landslides disrupting normal life in several states. Rain has been falling on and off over Delhi and its neighbouring areas since last night, leaving stretches of road waterlogged in many places. The weather department has forecast heavy rainfall for the next two days, and today it has issued an alert for thunderstorms and heavy rain across 16 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat. Wind speeds in these areas could reach 50 to 60 kilometres per hour.
Yellow alert for Delhi-NCR
Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Faridabad are likely to see light to moderate rain over the next two to three days, with heavy showers possible in a few pockets. The weather department has placed the entire region under a yellow alert, urging residents to stay cautious.
Red alert in eastern UP, no relief in the west either
Most parts of Uttar Pradesh are headed for heavy downpours. Eastern Uttar Pradesh has been placed under a red alert given how severe the rainfall is expected to be, while western Uttar Pradesh isn't getting off easy either, with districts such as Meerut, Saharanpur and Agra likely to keep receiving heavy rain until 25 July.
Bihar braces for widespread rain, lightning warning
Almost every district of Bihar, including the state capital Patna along with Muzaffarpur, Gaya and Bhagalpur, is set to receive widespread rainfall until 26 July. The weather office has warned of lightning strikes and very heavy rain in several places, meaning people working outdoors or in the fields need to take extra precaution.
Landslide risk looms over Uttarakhand
All 13 districts of the hill state of Uttarakhand, including Dehradun, Nainital and Haridwar, are under a heavy rain alert until 26 July. Continuous rain has raised the risk of landslides in the hills and rising water levels in rivers, keeping both travellers and local residents on alert.
Himachal Pradesh warned of extremely heavy rain on 21-22 July
Districts such as Shimla, Mandi, Kullu and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh are set to keep seeing spells of heavy rain. The state has been placed under a warning for extremely heavy rainfall on 21 and 22 July, meaning the hill areas will be especially vulnerable over the next two days.
Thunderstorms in Rajasthan, heavy rain alert in J&K
In Rajasthan, both the eastern and western regions, including Jaipur, Udaipur, Kota and Jodhpur, could see heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and winds blowing at 30 to 50 kilometres per hour. Separately, Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar and Jammu districts, among others, have also been placed under an alert for extremely heavy rain and strong winds.
