Heavy rains in India: Four dead, dozen injured

Four people have reportedly died, with more than a dozen injured in the capital Delhi and nearby areas according to local media, after a severe hailstorm hit the city on Wednesday.

The powerful storm uprooted trees, triggered power outages and led to massive traffic snarls due to waterlogging on the streets.

Similar scenes were reported from India’s financial capital Mumbai where pre-monsoon showers led to flooding in parts of the city.

India’s weather agency has warned that “heavy to very heavy rainfall” is likely over India’s western coast during next 6-7 days with rains and thunderstorms expected in almost a dozen states over the coming days, particularly in the southern part of the country.

On Wednesday, nearly 50 flights at Delhi airport - one of the busiest in the country - were delayed and almost a dozen flights were diverted due to heavy showers, the Hindustan Times newspaper said quoting an airport official.

Passengers onboard a flight operated by India’s largest carrier Indigo to Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, had a particularly harrowing journey after the aircraft got stuck in the hailstorm.

A video being circulated online shows many passengers screaming for help as the plane trembled violently due to strong turbulence.

In a statement, the airline said the flight landed safely in Srinagar, but a picture of the aircraft’s nose appearing to be damaged has been circulating online. The airline has not commented on the photo.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro issued an advisory on X, warning commuters of potential delays due to trees and other debris falling on the tracks.

In Mumbai, viral videos from the city’s Andheri area, an affluent neighbourhood, showed plastic bags and other waste floating on the streets after the rains clogged up the sewers.

Many social media users criticised authorities for poor waste management and the city’s failing drainage system.

Earlier this week, incessant rains brought Bengaluru, also known as India’s Silicon Valley, to a halt. At least four people were killed in rain-related incidents.

Videos from the city showed commuters wading through knee-deep water, with several cars stranded on waterlogged streets. In some parts of the city, water had also entered the homes of people.

India receives 80% of its annual rainfall during the monsoon season, which usually starts from June and continues until September. The monsoon is crucial for the livelihoods of many Indians, especially the country’s farmers who rely on seasonal showers in the absence of irrigation in many parts of the country.

But experts say climate change has made erratic weather, including unseasonal rains, flash floods and droughts linked to extreme heat a more regular phenomenon, upending the lives of millions.

-Agencies