New Delhi: Several parts of the country received rains on Monday with financial capital Mumbai coming to a grinding halt due to a record precipitation for a two-day period, even as northern plains witnessed high temperatures.
The national capital reeled under a heatwave, with mercury breaching the 43-degree Celsius in some parts of the city. The Weatherman said rain activity is likely to begin from Tuesday onwards.
The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides official figures for the city, recorded a high of 41.6 degrees Celsius, five notches more than normal and and a low of 30.6 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels oscillated between 37 and 59 per cent.
New Delhi witnessed its second driest June in 26 years, recording a meagre 6.6 mm of rainfall. It was also the most rain-deficient "state" in June, recording 90 per cent less than normal rainfall.
On an average, the city records 64.1 mm of precipitation in June. This time, it gauged only 6.6 mm of rainfall, making it the driest "state" in the country. The city had witnessed its driest June in 1993, recording just 5 mm of rainfall, an IMD official said.
Meanwhile, heavy rains lashed Mumbai overnight and early Monday hitting road and rail traffic, while the civic administration sought to disown responsibility for the waterlogging woes at the onset of monsoon.
Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi said 540 mm of rain fell in two days in the city, the highest over a two-day period in a decade, and attributed "climate change and changed geographical conditions" for waterlogging at several places.
The inundation is due to high amount of built-up area in Mumbai and the low proportion of water seepage into the ground in the last 50 years, he said.
Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar said there was waterlogging in some areas but it was incorrect to say that the city was "inundated" after heavy rains.
The Meteorological Department warned of "extremely heavy" rainfall in adjoining areas of Thane and Palghar on July 2, 4 and 5. A few places in Mumbai could get heavy to very heavy rainfall Monday and Tuesday, it added.
Private weather agency Skymet said Mumbai is at "serious risk of flooding" between July 3 and 5.
Jammu recorded a maximum temperature of 41.8 degrees Celsius and heatwave conditions forced people to remain indoors. The high day temperature resulted in a decrease in outdoor movement of people in Jammu city, while youngsters were seen taking baths in canals and other water bodies here.
Hot and humid weather conditions prevailed in most parts of Punjab and Haryana with Chandigarh recording a high of 40.5 degrees Celsius, five degrees above normal.
Among other places in Haryana, Ambala, Bhiwani and Hisar braved hot weather conditions at 40.2, 42.2 and 43 degrees Celsius respectively, the metrological department said.
In Punjab, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala recorded their respective maximums at 41.7, 39.2 and 40.5 degrees Celsius, up to six degrees above normal.
Meanwhile, heavy to very heavy rainfall has been forecast for eight districts of Odisha over next 24 hours due to the formation of a Low Pressure Area (LPA) over Northwest Bay of Bengal.
The areas include a few places with extremely heavy rainfall (more than 20 cm) at one or two places in Jajpur, Kendrapada, Angul, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Boudh and Bargarh.
The weather office also said that the LPA is likely to concentrate into a depression during the next 24 hours.
The IMD also issued an Orange Warning (be prepared) for 15 other districts where heavy to very heavy rainfall very likely (less than 20 cm) to occur.
The identified 15 districts are: Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Khurdha, Puri, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Bolangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi and Kandhamal.
Some parts in the western state of Rajasthan, received rainfall ranging from 3 to 10 cm in the past 24 hours. Bakani of Jhalawar recorded 10 cm rainfall followed by 6 cm in Bundi and 5 cm in Hindoli of Bundi district. Various places recorded rainfall ranging from 3 to 4 cm.
With 44.3 degree Celsius Churu, which received scant rainfall, was recorded the hottest place in the state, followed by 44 in Sriganganagar, 43 in Bikaner, 41.2 in Jaisalmer, 41 in Jaipur, 40.9 in Jodhpur, 40.6 in Barmer and 40.2 in Ajmer.
Light rainfall was also witnessed in parts of Himachal Pradesh during the last 24 hours. Sundernagar received 38 mm rain during the period, followed by Paonta Sahib at 26 mm, Nahan and Jogindernagar 12 mm, Bhuntar 8 mm, Renuka 6 mm and Janjehli 3 mm.
Una continued to be the hottest place in the state with a high of 41.8 degrees Celsius.
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