Rains lash NW India, cause landslide in HP

New Delhi, June 28 (UNI) Overcast skies and intermittent showers brought cheers to the people in various parts of Tamil Nadu today even as a massive landslide due to continuous heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh endangered a hydroelectric project.

Several parts of north west India experienced showers today due to a western disturbance over Jammu and Kashmir and north Pakistan.

A trough of low pressure over the east Arabian Sea, off north Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala coast persisted today.

Weather office sources said that under the influence of the low pressure trough south west monsoon had become active.

The landslide in Himachal Pradesh occured in Parvati Hydro-Power Project due to heavy downpour in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.

Temperatures all over the state fell due to the rains.

An induced upper air cyclonic circulation over Jammu and Kashmir, north and central Pakistan and adjoining north-west Rajasthan extended upto 1.5 km above sea level, according to the Weather Office.

Delhi was hot and humid after the premonsoon showers yesterday.

Humidity recorded today was 86 per cent.

Met department has predicted similar conditions over the next 24 hours with monsoon arrival expected on June 29.

Moderate to rather heavy rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at many places in Himachal Pradesh and light to moderate rain or thunershowers at few places in Punjab and Haryana during the next 24 hours, the Met Office added.

In Punjab, moderate rain lashed Amritsar and Ludhiana till this morning. Rainfall recorded was 20.0 mm and 23.4 mm respectively in the two cities.

Several areas in Haryana also had rain. Chandigarh and its adjoining areas were lashed by rain. The city measured 3.8 mm rain till morning. However, the temperature slightly rose in Chandigarh recording 33.6 degrees which was still four degrees below normal.

The southwest monsoon has been active in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Konkan, Goa and coastal Andhra Pradesh.

In the regions where the southwest monsoon is yet to set in, day temperatures were appreciably above normal in east Madhya Pradesh.

Heavy to very heavy rains are likely to occur at most places in Konkan and Goa, many places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Kerala, most places in coastal Andhra Pradesh, coastal Karnataka and Andman and Nicobar Islands.

Rain or thundershowers are also likely to occur at many places in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Maharashtra, Lakshadweep, at few places in the Gangetic West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttaranchal, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Marathwada, Telangana, Rayalseema, interior Karnataka and at isolated places in Tamil Nadu.

Kolkata continued to sweat as monsoon showers evaded the city.

The rains in West Bengal have been sporadic this season leading to hot and humid conditions. The MET office has, however, forecast a smart shower in the next 24 hours coupled with thunderstorms.

In some places in the North East like Manipur agricultural activities have been affected due to sporadic rainfall which has submerged large patches of agricultural land.

UNI Team ARB RP VV2034