Heavy rain alert across India as incessant downpour hits Delhi, Kerala, other states; Check IMD forecast

The IMD issued heavy rain alert across several states, including Uttarakhand, Odisha, Bihar, Haryana and Tamil Nadu.

Several parts of India witnessed heavy rain on Friday morning, leading to waterlogging, traffic snarls and other rain related mishaps. The national capital of Delhi and its surrounding cities of Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad saw several areas get submerged as incessant downpour battered the cities. Heavy rain was also recorded in parts of Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Heavy rain hit several parts of India on Friday morning. (HT_PRINT)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued alerts for heavy rain expected over the next 24 hours across the country, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala among others.

Rain Batter States Across India, Check IMD Alert

• Delhi was placed under red alert as IMD forecast heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours. The national capital recorded its rainiest day of August so far this year during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Friday. The Met department forecast heavy rain during the day and moderate to heavy rainfall during the afternoon. The downpour is likely to continue well into in the evening and night.

• In Kerala, a red alert was sounded on Friday morning across seven districts, including Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts. The IMD issued an orange alert for Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts, and a yellow alert in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts.
• Educational institutions in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts announced holidays in view of the situation. The Kuthiran twin road tunnels on the Kochi-Salem highway stretch reported two minor mudslips above the eastern side.
• Parts of Himachal Pradesh witnessed road closures as heavy rain hit the state on Friday. As many as 145 roads were shut across Mandi, Kullu, Sirmaur, Shimla, Kangra, Kinnaur and Una. The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) reported disruptions in 14 water supply schemes and 224 transformers.
• Shimla Met office issued an orange alert in parts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday and Tuesday (August 10 and 11). Heavy rains, landslides and flash floods have claimed 64 lives in the state since the onset of monsoon on June 30.

• Uttarakhand was also on alert as heavy rains led to the rise in water level of several major rivers, including the Alaknanda, the Bhagirathi, the Mandakini and the Ganga. Dehradun, Chamoli and Bageshwar districts were placed under orange alert for heavy rain while the rest of the state faced a yellow alert. The district administrations in Dehradun, Bageshwar and Chamoli closed shools up to Class 12 as a precautionary measure.
• Heavy rain and landslide led to the closure of 132 roads, including four national highways in Uttarakhand. The Yamunotri National Highway was blocked near Durbil in Uttarkashi district and the Rishikesh-Kedarnath National Highway was closed near Tilwara and Saandar in Rudraprayag district.

• Odisha, Coastal Karnataka, South Interior Karnataka, East Madhya Pradesh, East Rajasthan, Kerala and Mahe were expected to see heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours, the IMD said.
• The IMD also forecast heavy rainfall in isolated places in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, East Uttar Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, Haryana, Chandigarh, Jharkhand, Lakshadweep, Madhya Maharashtra, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, North Interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Uttarakhand and West Madhya Pradesh.