Monsoon covers entire India, chaos ensues: 10 videos capture waterlogging, jams & destruction

Pedestrians make their way through a severely waterlogged road in Surat. (PTI)

NEW DELHI: Large parts of India woke up to grey skies, waterlogged roads and traffic disruptions on Thursday as relentless overnight rain continued across several states, even as the southwest monsoon covered the entire country.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued fresh red and orange alerts, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds in several regions.From Delhi to Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttarakhand and several northeastern states, heavy monsoon showers triggered waterlogging, uprooted trees, transport disruptions, landslides and rescue operations, while authorities remained on high alert.The IMD also issued district-wise nowcast warnings for the next two to three hours, cautioning residents about intense rainfall, lightning and strong winds in several parts of the country.For Delhi and Haryana, the weather office issued a red alert, warning of heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of around 60 kmph.“Red Warnings: Lightning/Thunderstorms with gusty winds (around 60 kmph) and heavy rain (>15 mm/h) very likely over following districts in: Haryana: Faridabad, Karnal, Palwal, Panchkula, Panipat, Sonipat, Yamunanagar,” IMD posted.It also warned of similar conditions across all districts of the national capital. “Delhi: Central Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi, North Delhi, North East Delhi, North West Delhi, Shahadra, South Delhi, South East Delhi, South West Delhi, West Delhi.”The IMD also issued orange alerts for parts of Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir.“Orange warnings: Thunderstorms & Lightning with gusty winds (40-60 kmph) and moderate rain (5-15 mm/h) very likely over following districts in: Kerala: Ernakulam, Thrissur.” The alert also covers several districts in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.

Delhi & NCR reels under heavy rain

Delhi witnessed another spell of intense overnight rainfall, leaving several roads submerged and uprooting trees across the city. The IMD issued a red alert for the capital. The capital’s base weather station in Safdarjung recorded 72.6 mm rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am in the day.Other stations also recorded significant rainfall:

The minimum temperature settled at 24.3 degrees Celsius, around 3.6 degrees below normal. The weather office warned of moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning through the day. Strong winds of 40-50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, are expected across all districts of Delhi.Officials said weather conditions are likely to improve gradually after July 9 as the monsoon trough shifts further north.

Roads flooded, traffic hit

Several parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region witnessed severe waterlogging, severely disrupting traffic and the daily commute.Major waterlogging was reported from Vikas Marg, Munirka, Sadar Bazar, Geeta Colony, Dwarka, East Delhi and the New Delhi Railway Station area.Traffic crawled on key roads, including the Delhi-Noida Expressway, as vehicles struggled through flooded stretches, leading to long delays and congestion during the morning rush hour. Two trees were uprooted on Raja Dhir Singh Marg in East of Kailash, disrupting vehicular movement.In Noida, roads in Sector 115, Sector 75, Sector 16 Film City and adjoining areas remained submerged, forcing commuters to wade through knee-deep water.

Ghaziabad faces flooding

Ghaziabad also witnessed widespread waterlogging, particularly in Shastrinagar, Kaushambi and Indirapuram, where flooded roads triggered long traffic jams and disrupted daily life.In a separate incident, a road caved in near Atal Chowk in Vasundhara following heavy rainfall, causing a car and a scooter to fall into the ditch. The incident further highlighted the impact of the relentless downpour on the city’s infrastructure.Despite receiving one of the season’s heaviest spells of rain, civic authorities said extensive pre-monsoon desilting of drains helped prevent widespread flooding at several vulnerable locations, including the NHPC Chowk underpass.

Building collapse claims three lives

Heavy rain also proved fatal in northwest Delhi’s Rohini, where a four-storey under-construction building collapsed on Wednesday evening. The death toll rose to three after rescue teams recovered two more bodies overnight, PTI reported.

Gurugram struggles with flooded roads

Neighbouring Gurugram continued to grapple with severe waterlogging after receiving 115 mm of rainfall over the past 33 hours, with large parts of the city witnessing massive traffic snarls.Major roads, including the Delhi-Jaipur Highway service lane near Narsinghpur, Sohna Road, Kadipur and Basai, remained choked for hours as several vehicles broke down after getting stranded in flooded stretches, leaving commuters stuck in long queues.Officials from the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority and traffic police worked through the night to pump out water and regulate traffic.The city’s drainage system came under pressure after receiving 83 mm rainfall on Tuesday and another 32 mm on Wednesday.

Maharashtra continues to battle monsoon fury

Heavy rain continued to affect large parts of Maharashtra, where rain-related incidents have claimed more than 50 lives so far this monsoon. Mumbai woke up to cloudy skies with comparatively lighter rain after several days of relentless downpours.According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the city recorded:

The IMD has forecast intermittent light to moderate rain during the day, with isolated heavy showers accompanied by lightning and gusty winds. Public transport largely returned to normal, although suburban trains continued running five to ten minutes behind schedule.Western Railway officials confirmed there was no waterlogging between Vasai Road and Virar after days of disruption. However, Mumbai-Pune rail services continued to face delays following recent landslides in the Bhor Ghat section.Civic officials also said Tulsi Lake, one of Mumbai’s seven drinking water reservoirs, began overflowing following heavy rainfall in its catchment.

Raigad floodwaters sweep away 3,000 LPG cylinders

In Maharashtra’s Raigad district, around 3,000 LPG cylinders were swept away after a protective wall at the HPCL Patalganga LPG Bottling Plant collapsed due to heavy rainfall.Videos circulating on social media showed hundreds of cylinders floating down the swollen Patalganga River, drawing large crowds of onlookers.Officials said relentless rain caused floodwaters to breach the plant’s boundary wall, allowing the strong current to wash the cylinders into the Patalganga River and Kharpada Creek.

Three killed, hundreds evacuated in Thane

Monsoon-related incidents have claimed three lives and forced the evacuation of nearly 800 people across Thane district over the past week.According to the district administration, fatalities were reported from Thane city, Ambernath and Mira Bhayander, while 11 people have been injured in various rain-related incidents this season.In the latest incident, two people, including a teenage girl, were injured after lightning struck Murbad taluka on Wednesday. Officials said both are undergoing treatment and are out of danger. Authorities are also searching for two boys who drowned in separate incidents in Bhiwandi earlier this week.

Kerala continues to receive heavy rain

Heavy rain persisted across Kerala in the day, prompting the IMD to issue an orange alert for Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts. Yellow alerts were also issued for Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur and Kasaragod.The weather department said an orange alert indicates very heavy rainfall between 115 mm and 204 mm, while a yellow alert signifies rainfall between 64 mm and 115 mm. The downpour uprooted trees and damaged houses in several districts.

Death toll rises in Wayanad landslide

Rescue teams recovered another body from the landslide-hit tunnel construction site in Wayanad, taking the death toll to five. Four people remain missing, ANI reported.The landslide struck the Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel project near Kalladi on July 7, burying workers under several feet of mud and debris.Among those killed was Anmol Dodrai, a worker from Jharkhand’s Khunti district. His mortal remains were flown to Ranchi before being taken to his native village. NDRF personnel and other rescue agencies continued to search through thick sludge and massive boulders for the missing workers.

Red alert for Uttarakhand

Heavy rain also lashed Uttarakhand, triggering landslides and widespread waterlogging. A landslide near Kaddukhal on National Highway 707A in Tehri Garhwal damaged an abandoned building after excavation work destabilised the hillside.Officials said nearby restaurants, roadside kiosks and temporary labour shelters had already been evacuated as a precaution. Meanwhile, Haridwar witnessed severe flooding after continuous overnight rainfall.The IMD issued a red alert for Haridwar and Pauri Garhwal for the next three hours, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall in areas including:

Residents were advised to avoid unnecessary travel and remain away from rivers, streams and landslide-prone areas.

Pune building collapse rescue continues

Rescue teams pulled out two more survivors from the debris of a collapsed building at a waste management plant in Pimpri Chinchwad near Pune, taking the number of rescued people to nine. The three-storey structure collapsed on Wednesday after a massive garbage mound crashed into it, according to PTI.The operation is being carried out jointly by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Army, fire brigade and local administration. Officials said rescue efforts are continuing to trace those still trapped.

Flooding reported in Gujarat

Heavy rain continued to affect several parts of Gujarat. In Surat’s Sarthana area, seawater entered residential neighbourhoods after heavy rainfall, while roads in the Magob area remained waterlogged, affecting normal life.Residents reported severe disruption to traffic and daily activities.

Northeast braces for more rain

The IMD has forecast widespread heavy rainfall across the Northeast till July 14.According to the weather department:

Visuals show the swollen Brahmaputra River trigger severe erosion in the Mohnaghat area in Assam’s Dibrugarh, prompting authorities to begin protective measures.

Heavy rain forecast for Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris

The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds in the Nilgiris district. Moderate rainfall is also expected over districts along the Western Ghats, while Chennai is likely to witness generally cloudy skies with light rain in isolated areas. Authorities have advised residents in vulnerable hill areas to remain alert for landslides, falling trees and waterlogging.

The weather department has also issued a marine warning for fishermen in the Andaman Sea between July 10 and July 12, forecasting winds of up to 55 kmph and rough sea conditions.The IMD said Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab are expected to receive isolated to scattered rainfall on July 10, with rainfall intensity gradually easing after the current spell. However, isolated heavy rainfall is likely to continue in several parts of north, west and northeast India over the next few days.Authorities across states have urged people to avoid waterlogged roads, stay away from weak structures and trees during thunderstorms, monitor weather updates, and follow advisories issued by administrations.