Delhi records wettest October day in four years; IMD forecasts prolonged rain over south

Heavy rain and thunderstorms made Delhi record its wettest October day in four years on Monday, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast the onset of the northeast monsoon over the southern peninsula in the next two to three days, followed by several days of rain.

The Safdarjung observatory recorded 41.6 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours till 8.30 am on Monday, the highest October daily total since October 9, 2022, when around 74 mm was recorded.

Among Delhi's five weather stations, the Ridge received the highest rainfall at 49 mm, followed by Safdarjung at 41.6 mm, Lodhi Road at 41.4 mm, Ayanagar at 39 mm and Palam at 31 mm.

The showers brought down the minimum temperature at Safdarjung to 18.7 degrees Celsius, 2.3 degrees below normal and the lowest so far this month. Waterlogging in areas such as Sainik Farm and Mahipalpur disrupted traffic during the morning rush hour.

The IMD forecast generally cloudy skies with rain during the day. Delhi's average air quality index stood at 88 at 8 am, placing it in the 'satisfactory' category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

The weather department said conditions were favourable for the northeast monsoon to set in over the southern peninsula in the next two to three days, with a prolonged wet spell likely over the subsequent five to six days.

Isolated heavy rainfall is expected in Kerala and Mahe, coastal and south interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, and coastal Andhra Pradesh from October 15 to 18. North interior Karnataka may receive isolated heavy rain on October 17 and 18, while Rayalaseema is likely to see similar conditions on October 15 and 16, the IMD said.

Rain in Rajasthan, snowfall shuts Uttarakhand viewpoint

Parts of Rajasthan received light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms under the influence of a fresh cyclonic circulation. Rain was reported from isolated areas in Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Bikaner districts in the 24 hours ending Monday morning. Lunkaransar in Bikaner recorded the highest rainfall at 27 mm.

The IMD forecast light to moderate rain at isolated places in northern and northwestern Rajasthan over the next three to four days. Parts of the Bikaner division and the Shekhawati region may also experience rain accompanied by winds of 30-40 kmph on October 13 and 14.

In Uttarakhand, the Army closed the Old Lipulekh Pass viewpoint, which offers pilgrims undertaking the Adi Kailash Yatra a view of Kailash peak, due to heavy snowfall. The viewpoint, located at an altitude of 18,300 feet, will remain shut until further orders as accumulated snow has made the trek difficult and slippery, Dhan Singh Bisht, in-charge of the yatra base camp at Dharchula, said.

The pilgrimage is continuing smoothly, with devotees able to view Adi Kailash peak and Om Parvat near Nabhidhang, he said. A total of 64,651 inner line permits have been issued for the yatra this year, including 434 on Monday.

Crop damage in Punjab, restoration work in Jammu

In Punjab's Hoshiarpur, rain accompanied by strong winds flattened standing paddy and damaged potato, sugarcane, vegetable and fodder crops on Sunday. Farmers' leaders said earlier hailstorms had also caused paddy grains to fall off in some areas.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba) state president Manjit Singh Rai demanded compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for paddy crops destroyed by hailstorms and produce damaged by rain at procurement mandis.

The revenue department will assess the crop losses, officials said. The district administration has also directed officials to ensure that paddy at mandis is properly covered and accumulated rainwater is drained.

Meanwhile, authorities in Jammu were assessing damage and coordinating restoration work after record-breaking rainfall on Sunday caused flooding and extensive damage to infrastructure and vehicles.

The city received 185.6 mm of rain in just three hours from 8.30 am on Sunday, breaking its 71-year-old October record of 160 mm set in 1955. The downpour claimed two lives.

Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said the government was collecting damage reports from departments and would expedite repairs to roads, drains, lanes and culverts.

A 27-year-old woman, Rukhsana Kousar, was swept away by flash floods in the Domana area while attempting to save her husband, Mohd Kaleem, who had been caught in the deluge while trying to move his car to safety. Police, State Disaster Response Force personnel and local volunteers continued the search for her for a second consecutive day, officials said.