Staff Writer
Following Sunday’s wettest New Delhi day in four decades, which forced millions of people to wade through knee-deep water, India is now facing the possibility of additional torrential rain throughout large portions of the nation in the coming days, raising the risk of extensive devastation.
According to Press Trust of India, the flood has claimed the lives of 19 individuals across the country’s north. Users posted spectacular videos of landslides, flash floods, and surging rivers in Himachal Pradesh, one of the worst-hit regions, on social media. Images circulated online showed how the nation’s capital’s streets had been transformed into swift-moving streams.
The amount of rain that fell at Delhi’s primary weather station, Safdarjung Observatory, in a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday was 153 millimeters (approximately 6 inches), the most for a single July day since 1982. This increased the Yamuna River’s water level. As local officials worked to evacuate residents who lived near the water, the state decided to close schools as a result.
The Yamuna River’s water level would likely breach the danger line by tomorrow morning, according to our projections, said Atishi Marlena, Minister of Delhi’s Public Works Department, on Monday. “We are keeping an eye on the water flow in case the rain doesn’t stop.”
The Western Himalayan area, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh are among the regions of northern India where the India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy to extremely severe rainfall for the next two days. Himachal Pradesh has received a red notice from the weather service, and Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh have received a yellow alert.
India is one of the nations most vulnerable to climate change, with altered weather patterns increasing the frequency of catastrophic events and making it harder to predict even the regular monsoons, which are crucial to the country’s agriculture. The month of July comes after months of oppressive heat. According to data from the weather bureau, India’s highest temperatures have exceeded 45C (113F) for at least eight years running through 2023.
