UP flood situation dangerous

Monsoon fury: Rain lashes Kerala, Rajasthan

Flood situation in Uttar Pradesh remains dangerous despite a brief breather in the downpours, while Rajasthan and Kerala in the south continue to reel under monsoon rains.

In Uttar Pradesh, major rivers continue to flow above the danger mark even as the rains abate. The death toll in the floods reached 107 with four more deaths in the last 24 hours, according to reports.

Official sources here said that Baharaich district received the maximum rainfall of 90 mm while Ambedkar Nagar received 70 mm in the past 24-hours. The Met office has predicted light to moderate rains in the state in the next 48-hours.

At least 600 villages have been marooned in the state as flood waters from the swollen rivers inundated large tracts of land. Around 13 districts were affected by the floods displacing thousands of people and causing huge loss of human lives.

Meanwhile, in Kerala, monsoon intensified after two days of relatively weaker spells. According to the Meteorological Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, 10 centres across the state recorded heavy rains on Tuesday. Rainfall at and over 7 cm is considered heavy by the Met Department.

Piravom in Ernakulam district had the highest rainfall of the day with 12 cm. The Met department forecasts heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over the next 48 hours. Despite the relative calmness in the sea along the state’s coastal region, the met department has kept the fishermen alert active.

More than a month after the monsoon’s onset, the state has recorded 48 per cent more rainfall than the normal average. As of Tuesday, Kannur has topped the list of regions with maximum cumulative rainfall recorded from June 1.

Monsoon rains also lash Rajasthan, with the state’s south and eastern regions receiving intense rains since last week after a brief lull, in what could be a huge relief for the farmers.

The monsoon, which entered Rajasthan almost a week in advance on June 13, has yielded more than 40 per cent rainfall than the normal average.  The state has received 138. 92 mm of rainfall so far, against the average of 97.27 mm, which is about 42 per cent more rainfall. This time last year, the state had received a mere 48 mm rain. 

State irrigation department has revealed that ten districts have received over 60 per cent normal rainfall, nine districts had above normal rainfall, nine more have reported normal and five have recorded below normal rainfalls until now.