Assam floods claim 3 more lives, over 1.5 million affected; lightning kills 7 in Gujarat

The flood situation in Assam improved marginally but remained serious with three more deaths on Tuesday taking the toll to 25, even as rains lashed several parts of the country and lightning killed seven in Gujarat.

The weather in north India was predominantly sultry, whereas monsoon rains occurred in several areas in the western, central, eastern and northeastern regions, including Gujarat's Saurashtra where seven persons were killed in separate incidents of lightning strike.

In the national capital, a partly cloudy sky and light rain in isolated areas kept the mercury in check. However, humidity levels shot up to 91 per cent, causing inconvenience to the residents.

The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative figures for Delhi, recorded a maximum of 37.5 degrees Celsius, as against 40.7 on Monday. Most places recorded their maximum temperatures between 36 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius.

According to an official bulletin in Assam, flood water receded from two districts -- Udalguri and Kamrup (Metro) -- out of a total 25 affected.

The flooding has submerged over 1.5 lakh people and claimed 25 lives, of whom three died on Tuesday -- two in Barpeta district and one in Dibrugarh.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority said the flood situation remained serious in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Chirang, Darrang, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South Salmara, Goalpara, Kamrup, Morigaon, Hojai, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and West Karbi Anglong districts.

According to a forecast by the India Meteorological Department, there will be "fairly widespread to widespread rainfall activity with isolated heavy falls very likely to continue over east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim and northeastern states during next five days" due to a cyclonic circulation that lies over north Chhattisgarh and neighbourhood.

In Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi, Ballia and some others areas in the eastern region of the state received rains. State capital Lucknow recorded a maximum temperature of 35.6 degrees Celsius. Agra was the hottest city in the state with a maximum of 37.7 degrees Celsius, followed by Jhansi 37.6 and Etawah 37.

READ | 25 Assam Districts Affected By Flood, Death Toll Rises To 22

The day temperature hovered close to normal in Haryana and Punjab. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a maximum temperature of 36.3 degrees Celsius. Hisar experienced a hot day recording a high of 40.4 degrees Celsius.

Most cities in Rajasthan recorded an increase in maximum temperature by two to three degrees Celsius as compared to Monday.

Bikaner recorded a maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius, followed by 44.9 in Churu, 43.4 in Sriganganagar and Jaisalmer, 43.1 in Jodhpur, 42.4 in Barmer, 41.9 in Jaipur, 40 in Ajmer, 37.8 in Kota and 37.6 in Dabok.

Minimum temperature was recorded between 25.2 and 33.8 degrees Celsius at most places of the state.

In Gujarat, seven persons, including two children, were killed in separate incidents of lightning strike in Saurashtra region that witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, police said.

A 35-year-old woman and her 12-year-old son were struck by lightning at their farm in Rakka village at Lalpur in Jamnagar district, while two women were killed at Viramdad village in Devbhoomi Dwarka district, an official said.

In similar incidents, three persons died in lightning strike at two villages in Botad district, he said.

The deceased included a five-year-old boy, his 60-year-old grandfather and a 17-year-old girl, the official said.

Heavy rains lashed several parts of Saurashtra, especially Jamnagar, Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Rajkot and Bhavnagar districts.

According to the meteorological department, Kalavad in Jamnagar received the maximum rainfall of 73 mm in just two hours on Tuesday afternoon, while Veraval in Gir Somnath district and Dhrol in Jamnagar district received 48 mm rainfall till 4 pm.

As many as nine talukas of Gujarat received over 40 mm rainfall between 6 am and 4 pm, it was stated. 

READ | Efforts To Douse Blaze At Oil India's Baghjan Gas Well In Assam Hampered Due To Flooding

READ | Assam Floods: Over 9 Lakh Population Affected In More Than 2000 Villages; Death Toll At 43