Downpours to aim at Delhi after monsoon kills hundreds and displaces over 1 million
Aerial footage shows the path a deadly landslide took in Kerala, India, on Aug. 9. The slide killed at least 24 people and was triggered by torrential rain. Parts of India have been gripped by heavy rain over the last few weeks, which has triggered widespread flooding, leading to hundreds of deaths.
Following news that monsoon rain has claimed more than 300 lives across India, Myanmar and Pakistan so far this month, the risk of flooding will expand to India's National Capital Region (NCR) to close the weekend.
India has bore the brunt of those deaths with more than 280 people killed across six states (Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra). Kerala has been hit the hardest, with 104 lives lost, according to the Times of India.
Over 1 million other residents have been displaced with thousands of homes flooded, according to Aljazeera.
In eastern India, one person was killed by a lightning strike at Victoria Memorial Complex in Kolkata on Friday. Fifteen other people sustained injuries, according to NDTV.
The recent deaths occurred as the latest in a series of monsoon lows crossed India this past week. One storm is now focusing its downpours on western India, including the NCR, as another continues to soak Kolkata.
This Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, photograph released by Indian Navy shows a flooded area of Malappuram district, Kerala as seen from an Indian Navy helicopter. (Indian Navy via AP)
"Rainfall has picked up the last few days in the NCR, helping to offset some of the rain deficit so far this month," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk. "However, the next couple of days may prove to be more active."
That is definitely good news as the NCR is still suffering a 32 percent rainfall shortage since the start of the monsoon season (June 1 to Aug. 15), according to data from the India Meteorological Department. However, residents should remain alert for flash flooding and travel disruptions.
"The highest risk of flooding rain will follow the track of the storm, which will drift northward to the west of the NCR to close the weekend," according to Houk, "but AccuWeather meteorologists will be closely monitoring the radar as downpours could potentially lead to some problems in Delhi."
A similar AccuWeather Local StormMax™ is anticipated on the other side of the country as another monsoon low unloads heavy rain on West Bengal, Jharkhand, eastern Bihar and parts of Bangladesh.
Kolkata is among the communities facing flood hazards to lives and property.
Looking ahead to this week, drier air is expected to sweep back across northwestern India. Showers and thunderstorms should clear places near the Pakistan border at the start of the week and then the NCR by midweek.
No break in the storminess is in store for the rest of India this week. The highest risk of numerous downpours to trigger flooding will lie across eastern India, including areas from Chhattisgarh and eastern Madhya Pradesh to Bihar, and along the nation's southwestern coast. Some of this potential flooding could lead to more evacuations and travel disruptions.
Download the free AccuWeather app to stay alert to flood-related warnings.
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