Monsoon hits Mumbai, Delhi together for first time in decades

New Delhi [India], June 25 : The southwest monsoon advanced over Mumbai and Delhi together for the first time in decades as heavy rainfall with lightning and thunderstorm lashed the two cities on Sunday.
According to an India Meteorological Department (IMD) statement, the rainfall arrived two days early in Delhi bringing respite from the scorching heat.
As per the Regional Meteorological Centre inputs, Mumbai city received 104 mm of rain and eastern suburbs and western suburbs received 123 mm and 139 mm of rain respectively in the last 24 hours. The primary weather station at Delhi's Safdarjung, logged 48.3 mm rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 AM on Sunday.
Delhi's NCR (National Capital Region) like Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad and Ghaziabad also witnessed heavy rainfall.
The Regional Meteorological Centre has predicted that rainfall intensity is likely to gradually increase over parts of Maharashtra during the next 4-5 days. There is an indication of expected severe weather in the next 5 days, it added.
According to the IMD, the southwest monsoon has also advanced over Chhattisgarh and the state is expected to receive rain for the coming three days.
With the onset of the monsoon in Chhattisgarh, an alert has also been issued for heavy rains at one or two places in central Chhattisgarh.
Assistant Meteorologist, Sanjay Bairagi said, "According to the forecast for this year, there will be good rains. Due to the delay in monsoon, the work of farming may have lagged behind by 15 days, but now that it is raining, there is good news for the farmers, they can start sowing."
The IMD on Sunday also issued an Orange warning to 13 districts in Odisha for the next 24 hours and informed that in the next 48 hours, the state will experience the maximum impact of a Low-Pressure Area formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal.
According to the IMD, Odisha is very likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places over 10 districts and extremely heavy rainfall at some places in three districts and an orange alert has been issued in view of the same.
Meanwhile, incessant rains in the last 24 hours caused extensive damage in several parts of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh. At the same time, roads have been shut in many areas.
Several vehicles were washed away due to a flash flood in a rivulet at Janjehli in Mandi district. Many houses located downstream are facing risk and incidents of landslides have been reported at many places across the district. In the last 24 hours, Mandi has received 64.4 mm of rainfall.
Other parts of the state have also reported damage due to heavy rain. Several vehicles were washed away in the Kullu district. Eight vehicles were washed in Maohal rivulet near Kullu town.
Owing to heavy rains in Uttarakhand, Rudraprayag District Magistrate on Sunday informed that Kedarnath Yatra has been stopped at Sonprayag.
Rudraprayag District Magistrate Mayur Dixit said, "Kedarnath has been closed till further orders till the heavy rains continue."
The Rudraprayag Police on Sunday informed that police force, SDRF and DDRF teams have been deployed at the foot stops of the Kedarnath Yatra amidst heavy rains.
"According to the forecast of the Meteorological Department, it is raining heavily from the lower area of Rudraprayag district to Shri Kedarnath Dham. The police force, SDRF, and DDRF teams deployed at the foot stops of the yatra are helping the pilgrims cross the road amidst heavy rains," Rudraprayag Police, Uttarakhand shared in a tweet.
Also, parts of Haridwar city got waterlogged owing to heavy rainfall since late night on Saturday.
Areas like Jwalapur, Kankhal, Ranipur Maud, and Roshanabad in the city have been affected.
Subdivisional Magistrate (SDM) Haridwar Puran Singh Rana said, "Heavy rain has been continuing since morning. So far, no casualties have been reported. The drainage system has not been cleaned properly, resulting in waterlogging on the streets. A shop's boundary wall broke. We visited different parts of Haridwar City, and some people's houses were flooded with water. We will be providing them with gratuitous relief...the district disaster management team has been alerted. And the damage is being assessed."