Pune, July 8 -- Popular hill station, Lonavla, received 620 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8:30 am on Tuesday; after recording 670 mm rainfall over the earlier 24-hour period. Nearly 1,300 mm rain in just 48 hours transformed roads into streams, triggered landslides, and disrupted road and rail connectivity, leaving several travellers stranded. Following reports of a landslide at the 360 South Resort in Lonavla, local rescue teams recovered the body of at least one person, a watchman, while the search is on for another person who is feared trapped under the debris left by the landslide in its wake. The landslide was caused by heavy rainfall in Lonavla which is otherwise used to receiving 300 to 400 mm of rain in 24 hours during peak monsoon season. Sachin Patil, inspector, Lonavala city police station, said, "Search and rescue operations are underway." Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) chief, Abhijit Chaudhary, said, "Rescue teams remain deployed across the rain-affected region as heavy rainfall continues. Search operations are also underway following reports of a landslide near the North Point and 360 South resorts on the outskirts of Lonavla, where the Pune Metropolitan Disaster Response Force (PDRF) team is checking if anyone is trapped under debris." The PMRDA, through its PDRF and fire department, carried out multiple rescue operations across the Lonavla-Maval region as torrential rainfall inundated several residential areas. In Lonavla, PDRF teams rescued 23 residents trapped at Ekant Villa, while two elderly citizens were safely evacuated from Green Land Villa. At Mount West Crista Society in Karla, 21 people stranded in floodwaters were rescued using life jackets, lifebuoys and ropes; and shifted to safe locations. In Waksai (Ekant Nagar), rescue teams safely evacuated 34 residents stranded at Velocity Villa, Mango Villa and Oracle Villa after floodwaters inundated the area. The deluge this time was unprecedented and did not remain confined to Lonavla; it stretched across the windward slopes of neighbouring Khandala, and the Sahyadri range all the way till Mahabaleshwar. Dawadi in Mulshi topped the charts with 688 mm rainfall in the 24 hours ending Tuesday morning after receiving 474 mm the day before. Tamhini recorded 530 mm, Bhira 512 mm, Dungerwadi 423 mm, Shirgaon 420 mm, Mahabaleshwar 403 mm, Walvan 392 mm, Khand 312 mm, and Khopoli 240 mm. Like Lonavla, Mahabaleshwar, too, experienced a remarkable spell. After recording 513 mm rainfall on Monday-its second-highest 24-hour rainfall since observations began in 1903-the hill station received another 403 mm in the next 24 hours; and an additional 75.4 mm till 5:30 pm on Tuesday. While western Maharashtra and Mumbai witnessed exceptionally heavy rainfall during the first week of July, several districts in north Maharashtra, Marathwada and parts of Vidarbha continue to report below-normal rainfall. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Rainfall across most parts of the state is likely to weaken from July 8 and remain subdued for the next 10 days. Farmers in rain-deficit regions have been advised to postpone sowing until they receive adequate rainfall."...