Several Dead As North India Rain Washes Away Roads, Records

 New Delhi: At least 12 people have died in the past two days as heavy rain pounded several parts of north India. The weather office has predicted more showers over the next couple of days.

The Indian Metrological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to extremely heavy rain for Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

The IMD said a western disturbance prevailed over northern India, leading to an intense spell of rain yesterday, including Delhi which experienced the season's first heavy rain.

Waterlogging led to traffic jams in several parts of the national capital. The city recorded 153 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, highest in single day in July since 1982.

Heavy rain continued in Delhi and its adjoining areas today as well. Several parts of Gurugram also experienced waterlogging and power outages.

A 58-year-old woman was killed in Delhi when the ceiling of her flat came crashing down on her, while four people died in rain-related incidents in Rajasthan.

A woman and her six-year-old daughter were killed in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar early this morning after their house collapsed due to heavy rain. Three of a family were killed in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla in a similar incident.

In Jammu and Kashmir, two Army soldiers died after being swept away in flash floods in the Poonch district yesterday.

The IMD has predicted very heavy rainfall in more than nine districts of Rajasthan, including, Rajsamand, Jalore, Pali, Ajmer, Alwar, Banswara, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Bundi, Chittorgarh, Dausa, Dhaulpur, Jaipur and Kota.

The annual Amarnath Yatra has been suspended for the third consecutive day today following incessant rains and landslides. About 3,000 vehicles are stranded along the Srinagar- Jammu Highway, where a portion of the road had caved in yesterday.

Down south, Incessant rains pounded many areas of Kerala and Karnataka as well. The IMD has issued a "yellow" alert in four districts of Kerala -- Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.

The weather office has issued a "red" alert for seven Himachal Pradesh districts after landslides and flash floods blocked several roads in Shimla, Sirmaur, Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba and Solan. 

A portion of the national highway in Kullu district washed away as the Beas river breached the danger mark.

Heavy rain lashed several parts of Haryana and Punjab also as the mercury dropped below normal limits in the two states, the weather office said. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, witnessed rain throughout the day.

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