India Rain Highlights | India likely to receive above-normal rainfall in June: IMD

India Rain Updates | Heavy rains lash parts of Surat in Gujarat

India Rain Updates | Monsoon fury in May: Heavy rain pummels coastal districts, Malnad

The early and fast advancing southwest monsoon was vigorous in coastal districts and Malnad where heavy to very heavy rainfall brought life to a standstill. Rain has brought both joy and mayhem.

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India Rain Updates | Mumbai expecting a cloudy sky with heavy rain as per IMD

India Rain Updates | Heavy rains continue to wreak havoc in Kerala; relief camps opened

Heavy downpours continued to wreak havoc in Kerala on Monday, forcing people to shift to relief camps and safer locations in many places.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, the intense monsoon has claimed four lives in the state so far.

India Rain Updates | Three killed in rain-related incidents in Pune district

Three people were killed in separate rain-related incidents in Pune district over the past two days, officials said on Monday.

India Rain Updates | Mumbai's Khar sees waterlogging after heavy showers

India Rain Updates | Red alerts in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa today

India Rain Updates | IMD issues orange alert to these states

• Rajasthan

• Himachal Pradesh

• Parts of Maharashtra

• Parts of Karnataka

• Coastal Andhra Pradesh

• Tamil Nadu

• Puducherry

• Kerala

India Rain Updates | Tirunelveli dams in Tamil Nadu witness a sharp rise in water levels

India Rain Updates | Madikeri MLA visits worst-hit areas; red alert issued in Karnataka

India Rain Updates | IMD issues red alert to these places

• Konkan and Goa

• Madhya Maharashtra

• Coastal Karnataka

• South interior Karnataka

India Rain Updates | Mumbai receives 106 mm rains in 24 hours; IMD forecasts moderate to heavy showers

After being pummelled by heavy downpours at the start of the week, Mumbai witnessed a brief respite on Tuesday morning, with the island city recording an average rainfall of 106 mm in 24 hours, civic officials said.

Public transport services, including suburban trains, were running with minor delays, while the buses of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking and metro services were on, they said.

India Rain Updates | Here are some pictures showing the aftermath of heavy showers

India Rain Updates | Heavy water flow floods Courtallam Falls in Tamil Nadu

India Rain Updates | IMD predicts showers across Gujarat as Modi holds roadshow

India Rain Updates | Woman killed in lightning strike in Maharashtra's Thane district

A 51-year-old woman died after being struck by lightning in a village in Maharashtra's Thane district, officials said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in Chatu Budruk village in Shahpur on Monday afternoon, tehsildar Parmeshwar Kasule said.

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India Rain Updates | Hemavathi River reportedly overflows in Ktaka's Hassan due to heavy showers (Reports Republic Kannada)

India Rain Updates | More than 9,000 farmers, fishermen affected by unseasonal rains in Palghar

India Rain Updates | One dead in tree collapse incident in Mumbai

A 26-year-old man died while another was injured in separate incidents of tree collapse or branch fall in the city as rains lashed the metropolis over the last 24 hours, the civic body said on Tuesday morning.

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India Rain Updates | Delhi NCR to receive light rainfall on May 29-30, temp to hover at 39-40°C: IMD

Kolkata, south Bengal receive rainfall for second day, low pressure formed over Bay of Bengal

Different parts of South Bengal, including Kolkata, for the second consecutive day on Tuesday received rainfall under the impact of the low pressure formed in the Bay of Bengal, an IMD official said here.

Kolkata received 35.1 mm of rainfall till 11.30 am in the past 24 hours, the official said.

He said a low-pressure area was formed over Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast and is likely to move slowly northwards and become more marked during the next 48 hours.

Under its influence "heavy to very heavy rainfall" is likely to occur in isolated pockets of some districts of West Bengal in the next 24 hours, he said quoting a bulletin issued by the IMD..

"Heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-11 cm) is likely to occur at one or two places in South 24 Parganas district of south Bengal," he said.

"Heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20 cm) rainfall is also likely to occur at one or two places over Kalimpong, Coochbehar and Alipurduar districts in the next 24 hours, the IMD said.

Apart from "heavy to very heavy rainfall in one or two pockets'', light to moderate rainfall accompanied by lightning and 30-40 km per hour wind speed is forecast across Kolkata, Howrah, North-South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Paschim Bardhaman, Murshidabad, Purba Medinipur, Bankura, Jhargram districts in the afternoon hours, the spokesperson said.

Intermittent showers disrupted vehicular traffic movement during peak office hours and caused traffic snarl-ups in important thoroughfares.

Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into the region but the rains recorded in West Bengal are pre-monsoon showers, the spokesperson said, adding that the system is drawing moisture in the wind resulting in rainfall.

-PTI

Rain, thunderstorm likely in parts of Rajasthan in coming days

Thunderstorms and rain are likely in several parts of Rajasthan in the coming days even as temperatures in other parts of the state are expected to rise, the Meteorological Center Jaipur said on Tuesday.

The period of thunderstorms and light rain may continue in some parts of the state for the next 3-4 days. There is a possibility of strong thunderstorms, storms and light/moderate rain in some parts of Jodhpur, Bikaner division, Udaipur, Kota, Jaipur division during May 27 to 29, it said.

In most parts of the state, the maximum temperature will increase by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius in the coming days.

As heatwave will continue in some places, the maximum temperatures in border areas of western Rajasthan are likely to reach 44 to 46 degrees Celsius.

In the last 24 hours till Tuesday morning, light rain was witnessed at some places in the state. The maximum rainfall of 20 mm was recorded in Kushalgarh (Banswara).

-PTI

India likely to receive above-normal rainfall amounting to 108 per cent of long-period average in June: IMD

India is likely to receive above-normal rainfall amounting to 108 per cent of the long-period average in June, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.

The weather office said the country may receive 106 per cent of the long-period average rainfall of 87 cm during the entire monsoon season.

At a press conference, M Ravichandran, Secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences, said the monsoon core zone is expected to get above-normal rainfall (more than 106 per cent of the long-period average) this season.

The monsoon core zone includes parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and nearby areas. This region gets most of its rain during the Southwest Monsoon and depends heavily on it for agriculture.

Northwest India is likely to receive normal rainfall, while the Northeast may see below-normal rain. Central and south peninsular India are expected to record above-normal rainfall, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.

-PTI

Congress demands immediate aid to Maharashtra farmers affected by rains

The Congress in Maharashtra on Tuesday asked the Mahayuti government to set aside bureaucratic procedures and provide financial relief of Rs 20,000 per acre or Rs 50,000 per hectare to farmers for damage caused to crops due to rains.

State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal also slammed the BJP-led government for severe waterlogging at several locations and inconvenience caused to residents after the first monsoon showers in Mumbai on Monday.

While farmers in the state are already struggling, heavy rains have further compounded their condition as the downpour has severely damaged crops, sweeping away harvests that were ready for yield, he maintained. "Nature has turned unpredictable, but the dictatorial government of (Chief Minister Devendra) Fadnavis is turning its back on farmers and people in general. Immediate help is needed, and the government must set aside bureaucratic procedures and provide direct financial relief of Rs 20,000 per acre or Rs 50,000 per hectare to affected farmers," Sapkal demanded.

Speaking to reporters, Sapkal insisted that during the Congress rule, urgent financial aid was provided to farmers whenever they were hit by crises -- be it due to pests, blights, hailstorms or unseasonal rains -- all of which can significantly impact crops.

However, the current government of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP lacks the will to help cultivators at the time of crisis, he claimed. Merely asking for surveys and giving empty assurances will not help and actual assistance must reach farmers without delay, the Congress leader emphasised. With the kharif crop season (June-October) beginning under the shadow of a crisis, farmers are already distressed.

Loan waivers are yet to be announced, and even loan restructuring hasn't happened, he said. "The government has no concrete plan for the upcoming crop cycle. The Congress demands distribution of free seeds and fertilizers to farmers to ease financial burden on them," Sapkal maintained.

The first monsoon rains have exposed the hollow claims of the BJP-led ruling alliance, especially in Mumbai, which faced flooding and disruption of rail and road traffic, he opined.

"Waterlogging in Mumbai reflects misgovernance. Despite spending crores, the city was flooded, and all systems collapsed. The underground metro project in Mumbai was forced through against expert advice from (state government planning agency) MMRDA, resulting in massive destruction, including the cutting down of thousands of trees," Sapkal opined.

The so-called development of infrastructure under the ruling coalition has been exposed by just one spell of rain, the Congress leader averred.

"Instead of owning up (for the monsoon mess), they keep blaming previous governments. The BJP and (undivided) Shiv Sena ruled Mumbai's municipal body for 25 years, and (Deputy Chief Minister Eknath) Shinde has consistently held the urban development portfolio," he pointed out.

"While Maharashtra reeled under a natural disaster, the state cabinet was busy appeasing (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah. State ministers are desperate to save their positions rather than help the public," Sapkal said.

During election campaigns last year in Maharashtra, Shah promised two free LPG cylinders per household, loan waivers for farmers, and Rs 2,100 payout a month for women, but now he seems to have forgotten all his assurances, he contended.

-PTI

TN Deputy CM reviews monsoon preparedness

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday reviewed the state's preparedness to cope up with the Southwest Monsoon.

He directed the officials to work in unison and expedite the projects quickly. Reviewing the work that was also taken up in connection with the Northeast Monsoon in Chennai corporation areas and the neighbourhood, Udhayanidhi told the government officials to strive hard to ensure people's safety and bring a good name to the government.

Apart from carrying out stormwater drainage works in Chennai and surrounding areas, the Greater Chennai Corporation has commenced the chore to restore waterways and ponds.

"Rainwater drainage structures are being laid along with the construction of bridges and widening of roads. Due to the extensive construction of stormwater drains in the city, the floodwater drained within a few hours and traffic was restored in all areas following heavy rain in Chennai last year," a release here said.

State Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekhar Babu, Chennai Mayor R Priya, Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, and other senior officials participated in the review meeting held at the Secretariat here.

-PTI