Monsoon Fury: Heavy Rains Alert in Maha, Guj; Delhi on Edge As Yamuna Level Rises | Updates

Mumbai saw its wettest day in the year on Saturday as heavy rains lashed Maharashtra and floods led to cars and cattle getting swept away in Gujarat. Meanwhile Delhi is on high alert due to alarming discharge of over 2 lakh cusecs of water from the Hathnikund Barrage into the Yamuna river.

Here’s all you need to know about weather updates:

• Gujarat experienced heavy rainfall, causing a flood-like situation on Saturday, with Junagadh being the worst affected. The city received 219 mm of rain in just 8 hours until 4 pm. Startling visuals showed parked cars and cattle being swept away in the gushing waters. People waded through waist-deep water to reach safer places, and some were rescued by volunteers from strong currents. Navsari and Junagadh districts were severely impacted, with flooding in residential areas and marketplaces.

• Navsari district in Gujarat faced heavy rainfall, leading to disruption of normal life in both urban and rural areas due to flooding. Navsari and Jalalpore talukas received significant rainfall between 6 am and 4 pm, causing water to overflow onto roads and low-lying areas. A godown storing empty gas cylinders was affected as water gushed in, washing away the LPG containers. Additionally, there were traffic jams on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway near Navsari.
• In Navsari city, a father-son duo was swept away in a swollen drain. The man was rescued, but efforts were underway to trace the son, according to an official. In another incident near Silvassa town of Dadra and Nagar Haveli district, a father-son duo drowned after their car got washed away. The incident occurred on Friday night when they were attempting to cross a low-lying bridge and were caught by fast-moving waters.
• A red alert has been issued for Junagadh, Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Kutch, Surat, Valsad, Navsari and Surat. IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall, including isolated extremely heavy rainfall, in south Gujarat and Saurashtra-Kutch districts until Sunday morning. Many other districts in the region will also experience heavy to very heavy rainfall for the next three days, the weather office said.
• Mumbai experienced its wettest day of the year on Saturday, with the Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) recording 203.7 mm of rain at its Santacruz observatory and 103 mm at the Colaba coastal observatory in the past 24 hours, ending at 8.20 am earlier in the day, according to a Indian Express report.
• Heavy rainfall lashed Mumbai and its suburbs on Saturday causing waterlogging and traffic snarls. Moderate to heavy rains are expected in Mumbai till the end of the weekend due to low-pressure and a cyclonic circulation over south Chhattisgarh. IMD issued an Orange alert for 24 hours, indicating heavy to very heavy rain on Saturday, and a yellow alert for Sunday, suggesting receding rainfall.
• IMD has issued an ‘orange’ alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts for Sunday.
• Around 110 people stranded due to floods in Mahagaon tehsil of Yavatmal district, Maharashtra, were rescued with the help of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and an Indian Air Force Mi-17 V5 chopper. Yavatmal city also witnessed flooded roads and people in affected areas were moved to safer places. In a neighboring district, Buldhana, approximately 140 individuals were shifted to safer locations in Kasergaon village due to the floods.
• The Regional Meteorological Centre, Nagpur, forecast thunderstorms with lightning and heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated places in Yavatmal, Gadchiroli, Amravati and Washim districts in Vidarbha on Saturday.
• On the third day of the search and rescue operation, the death toll from the landslide in Irshalwadi hamlet in Maharashtra’s Raigad district reached 27. A total of 81 individuals are still unaccounted for, an NDRF official said.
• The administration in Maharashtra’s Raigad district has imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in Irshalwadi. The district administration has issued an order banning the entry of trekkers, visitors, and other villagers at the location of the landslide in response to a rise in distress tourism, which has caused disruptions in relief work.
• Villages in Shahapur, Bhiwandi, and Vasai talukas in Thane and Palghar districts of Maharashtra are on alert due to the imminent overflow of the Tansa dam caused by continuous rainfall. Maharashtra Minister Shamburaj Desai reviewed the flood situation in Thane district, which has experienced 140-150 per cent average rainfall this season and reported three rain-related fatalities in the past three days. Kalu and Ulhas rivers are flowing near the danger mark, and the dams are nearing full capacity.
• Delhi is on high alert due to discharge of over 2 lakh cusecs of water from the Hathnikund Barrage into the Yamuna river. Some parts of Yamuna Khadar might get inundated if the water level rises to 206.7 meters. Revenue Minister Atishi said the government is prepared for evacuation, and vulnerable areas are being alerted through regular announcements. Relief camps are ready for people to stay if needed. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is closely monitoring the situation, she added.
• Due to heavy rainfall, the pilgrimage to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, connected through the Kartarpur corridor, has been suspended for the next two days. The decision was made based on an assessment by Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal and BSF officials.
• Most districts in Odisha received light to moderate rainfall. The IMD has issued a yellow warning for July 23 (Sunday) and predicts heavy rainfall in one or two places in the districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Boudh, Bolangir, Sonepur, Bargarh, and Sambalpur.
• IMD forecasts the formation of a Low-Pressure Area over the Bay of Bengal off south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh on July 24. Rain or thundershowers are likely in Odisha due to cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal. The monsoon rainfall will aid paddy crop sowing but may cause waterlogging, traffic congestion, and landslides in some areas. On July 23, heavy rainfall is expected in certain districts.
• The India Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till July 25.
• Heavy rains and cloudbursts caused damage to roads, houses, and shops in multiple places in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi, however, no casualties were reported from the rain-related incidents. Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Ruhela monitored the situation and coordinated relief efforts. A tourist resort and a girls’ residential school were among the affected locations. State Disaster Response Force personnel assisted in managing the situation. Landslides also blocked the Yamunotri national highway in various places. In Purola, landslides and cloudbursts buried several vehicles, and affected individuals were relocated to safer areas. Additionally, the power supply in the region was disrupted due to the heavy rains.
• At least 40 passengers had a lucky escape when their bus got stuck in the flooded Kotawali river while en route to Haridwar from Rupaidiha in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh. JCB machines were used to rescue the passengers as dramatic visuals showed the bus marooned in swirling waters. The fast-flowing water nearly reached the windows, and the passengers were seen coming out through the windows and seeking safety in an excavator bucket under police supervision. The incident occurred due to heavy rains, causing the river water level to rise along the Najibabad-Haridwar road.
• A cloudburst in Ladakh triggered flash floods, inundating several parts of Leh town and causing debris to flow into the main market area, resulting in some damage to buildings. However, there have been no reports of casualties. Rescue and rehabilitation work was ongoing, officials said and the Army was been involved in flood relief operations, assisting stranded civilians and clearing mud and debris from residential buildings. The Dalai Lama’s programme in Leh was postponed due to the situation. Tourists, including foreigners, also helped in cleaning the main market area. Ladakh Police urged the public, civil societies, and volunteers to support rescue efforts for the early resumption of normal life and traffic regulations.