Monsoon-related disruptions have intensified across parts of north and central India, with a boat accident in Bihar, overflowing dams in Uttar Pradesh and an orange alert covering 21 districts of Madhya Pradesh.
In Bhagalpur, Bihar, a boat carrying 21 workers overturned in the Ganga on Wednesday while the group was placing sandbags along the riverbank to check erosion. The boat went down after one section became overloaded, sending everyone into the river.
Rescue teams brought 20 workers to safety. One worker is still missing, and a search operation is under way.
Uttar Pradesh rivers and dams under pressure
Persistent monsoon rain has pushed rivers higher across Uttar Pradesh. In Chandauli, the Musakhhand and Latifshah dams began overflowing, leading authorities to open their gates.
A section of the Tamolin Purwa embankment on the Sharda river in Lakhimpur was also cut. In Mahoba, water entered the district hospital, while water began dripping from the roof of the emergency ward.
The rising level of the Gandak river is also expected to accelerate because of severe flooding in Nepal. A high alert has been issued for areas along the river, and boat operators have been instructed to return to the riverbank immediately.
Orange alert for 21 Madhya Pradesh districts
After rainfall activity in eastern Madhya Pradesh, the monsoon is expected to become active across the northern, western and central parts of the state. The weather department has issued an orange alert for 21 districts across the Bhopal, Ujjain, Sagar, Gwalior and Chambal divisions for the next 2 days.
Madhya Pradesh has received an average of 25.5 inches of rain during the current monsoon season, equal to 68% of its total quota. Rainfall remains 11% below the expected level, with 40 districts recording below-average rain and 15 receiving more than the average.
Rain and weather outlook in other states
Chhattisgarh is expected to receive another 24 hours of rain. Some areas may see heavy showers accompanied by thunder, lightning and a warning of lightning strikes. Rainfall activity is expected to ease afterward.
The monsoon has weakened in Himachal Pradesh. Neither the monsoon trough nor a western disturbance is currently active over the state, and most areas are not expected to receive rain during the next 72 hours.
Rain is possible in 9 districts of Punjab, although the state’s maximum temperature has not changed from Tuesday’s level. Uttarakhand is expected to receive light to moderate rain and thunderstorms in all districts, with isolated heavy rain possible in Dehradun, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar.
Patna received rain early in the morning, with cloudy skies reported. Weather conditions across Bihar are expected to remain normal today, though some districts may receive rain later in the day.
Eastern Rajasthan recorded good rain on Tuesday. Sri Ganganagar registered a maximum temperature of 41°C, the state’s highest August temperature in the past 2 years.
In Uttar Pradesh, the rising Ganga level has submerged 84 ghats in Kashi. Around 5 thousand shops located along the ghats have been forced to close.
The developments underline the varied impact of the current monsoon pattern: some areas are facing flooding, river hazards and infrastructure disruption, while others are seeing below-average rainfall or a temporary weakening of rain activity.
