Monsoon

The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Sunday, predicting very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rain at isolated locations, civic officials said.

A well-marked low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal is expected to keep the monsoon active over central India for the next four to five days.

In Shimla, traffic congestion and slow-moving vehicles have caused inconvenience to commuters, but tourists continue to flock to the state capital to escape the scorching heat in the plains.

Thane city recorded 65.79 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 1.30 pm, bringing its season's total to 829.84 mm, while Palghar district received 97.70 mm of rain during the same period, taking its seasonal tally to 643.10 mm.

The showers led to water-logging in several low-lying areas of the metropolis, including Andheri, Kurla, Sakinaka, Chembur, Santacruz, Goregaon and Powai, and crippled the services of the public transport utility as well posed difficulties for the users of private vehicles.

The off-season also brings practical benefits. Hotels and resorts often offer attractive discounts, making luxury stays far more affordable than during peak tourist months.

Heavy rain since early Thursday morning led to waterlogging in prime areas such as Dadar, Parel, Hindmata, Charkop, Worli, Goregaon and Andheri, causing inconvenience to commuters and slowing vehicular traffic.

According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, nearly 48,500 people have been impacted due to the floods in Biswanath, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh and Nalbari districts.

At the same time, the showers brought welcome relief from scorching heat in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh after days of sweltering weather, while the southwest monsoon advanced across most parts of Uttarakhand.

"If any resident in the area is found indulging in dirtying the drain, this court will not hesitate in taking stringent action," the court observed.

Some areas of northwest and northeast India, east-central India and the eastern peninsular region are likely to receive normal to above rainfall, the IMD said.

The southwest monsoon reached Mumbai on Tuesday, 13 days after its normal onset date, bringing widespread rainfall across the city and suburbs and much-needed relief from the sweltering heat.

The monsoon delivers about 70% of the country's annual rains and replenishes crucial water sources in an economy where nearly half of farmland lacks irrigation and about half the population earns its livelihood from agriculture.