Asom floods recede, rains in capital, Marathwada death toll at 69

New Delhi, June 24: The flood situation in Asom today showed signs of improvement and the capital experienced rains even as the death toll in Marathwada region due to lightning has reached 69, with five more deaths reported today.

The Met office said southwest monsoon has further advanced into Marathwada, most parts of Vidarbha, Telangana and some parts of Chhattisgarh.

Monsoon has been vigrous in coastal Karnataka and active in Gangetic West Bengal, Madhya Maharashtra, North Interior Karnataka and Kerala. Severe heat wave conditions prevailed in some parts of West Rajasthan and heat wave conditions also prevailed in some parts of West Madhya Pradesh, North Gujrat Region and Kutch.

The capital witnessed light rains this morning even as humidity levels rose to 55 per cent.

A high humidity level of 49 per cent, however, led to a rise in maximum temperature to 40 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature also rose to 27.8 degrees C.

The weatherman said the overcast sky was caused by the rising humidity levels in Delhi during the last few days.

The flood situation in Asom improved as the Brahmaputra was flowing over the danger level at only one place with considerable decrease in rainfall.

The Brahmaputra was flowing at 104.87 m against the danger level of 104.24 m at Dibrugarh, official sources said.

Water levels of the Puthimari at National Highway crossing in Kamrup district and Kushiyara at Karimganj were within one metre of the danger level.

Sources said 239 mm of rainfall was recorded from June 1 to June 22 and only 4 mm was recorded on yesterday.

In the first wave of flood this year, seven people have been killed and over five lakh affected. Altogether 850 villages in 17 districts have been affected so far.

Over 9,000 hectares of crop land have also been affected. Erosion was reported from a few places under Laharighat and Buragaon revenue circles in Morigaon district, Sukchar under Mankachar revenue circle and Shebaltari, Tumni and Medartari under South Salmara Mankachar revenue circle in Dhubri district.

In Maharashtra, the death toll in Marathwada region due to lightning has reached 69, with five more deaths reported from four of the eight districts of the division on the seventh day.

According to official sources at the divisional commissionerate in Aurangabad, two people were killed due to lightning in Beed followed by one each at Hingoli, Nanded and Latur, respectively.

In Andhra Pradesh, four women, including two girls of a family were killed on the spot and five injured when the mud roof of their house collapsed due to heavy rains near at Emmiganur village in Kurnool district in the day. The injured were admitted to the Kurnool government hospital. In Kerala, the southwest monsoon is active and many places in the state and Lakshadweep recorded heavy rain.

While Kunnamkulam recorded the highest rainfall of 14 cm, Karipur airport, Mannarkkad, Pattambi, Koyilandy and Vadakara received 11 cm each.

Aluva, Perumbavoor and Ameni received eight cm each while Parur and Ottapalam recorded seven cm of rainfall.

In the northwestern region, heat wave conditions prevailed at Amritsar where the mercury touched 42.6 degrees celsius while the temperature remained low in certain areas following rain.

The maximum hovered two degrees above normal Amritsar, turning it the hottest place in Punjab. Ludhiana showed 39.2 degrees, one degree below normal.

Sharp showers, accompanied by high speed winds, lashed Patiala and adjoining areas, lowering the temperature.

In Haryana, the mercury declined to 37.8 degrees at Karnal but remained static at 39.8 degrees celsius at Ambala which recorded 11mm rain.

The temperatures also dipped in Himachal Pradesh following rain in mid hills. The temperature plummeted to 33.1 degrees at Sundernagar in Mandi district which recorded trace rainfall. There was no change in the maximum at Shimla which recorded 24.3 degrees and trace rain. However, the mercury rose at Kalpa in Kinnaur district, registering 25.1 degrees.

In Bengal, moderate to heavy rainfall with thunder showers are likely to occur in the next 24 hours, Met Officials said in Kolkata.

Met sources said Kolkata experienced 11.1 mm rainfall in last 24 hours.

UNI