New Delhi, Oct. 29 -- Heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds swept large parts of India on Thursday as Cyclone Arnab weakened after making landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast, bringing a sharp drop in temperatures across northern India and triggering severe flooding in Odisha. Delhi recorded its lowest maximum temperature for an October day in four years, while several states issued weather alerts, closed schools and mobilised disaster response teams as the weakening storm continued to influence weather conditions across the country.
The maximum temperature at Safdarjung, Delhi's base weather station, settled at 25.4 degrees Celsius, 5.6 degrees below normal and the lowest for an October day since October 8, 2022, when the mercury reached 23.4 degrees. Dark clouds covered the capital through the day, with residents reporting rain in areas including Dwarka, Preet Vihar, Laxmi Nagar and Yamuna Bank.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued red and orange alerts for thunderstorms, lightning, hail and strong winds in parts of Delhi-NCR. Winds of 40-60 kmph were forecast in several areas, while other parts of the capital were likely to receive moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms. The city recorded trace rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am, with relative humidity at 91 per cent.
The temperature also fell sharply across Haryana and Punjab. Karnal recorded a maximum of 20.6 degrees Celsius, nine degrees below normal, while Ambala registered 23.8 degrees, six degrees below average. In Punjab, Patiala recorded 27.4 degrees, three degrees below normal.
The weather office forecast a fall of 5-8 degrees in maximum temperatures across Uttar Pradesh on October 29 and 30. Heavy to very heavy rainfall was expected in several eastern districts, including Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Varanasi and Ghazipur, while parts of western Uttar Pradesh faced the possibility of hailstorms on Friday. Thunderstorms and gusty winds were also forecast in Lucknow, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur and Amethi.
Rajasthan experienced a change in weather under the influence of a western disturbance, with rain and strong winds forecast in eastern parts of the state. Winds reaching 40-50 kmph were likely in parts of Jaipur, Bharatpur, Ajmer, Kota and Udaipur divisions. Temperatures were expected to fall by 3-5 degrees over the next 24 hours.
In Uttarakhand, rain and snowfall brought colder conditions to the hills. Kedarnath recorded 0.4 cm of snowfall, with temperatures dropping below freezing, while Gangotri witnessed the season's first heavy snowfall. The IMD issued an orange alert for Nainital, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar and Chamoli districts for Friday, warning of heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail and strong winds. Authorities urged pilgrims travelling to Kedarnath and other Char Dham shrines to follow safety advisories and avoid unnecessary travel during adverse weather.
Himachal Pradesh also reported thunderstorms and lightning in several areas, while Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius.
The impact of the storm extended across central and eastern India. In Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal experienced steady drizzle, while nine eastern districts, including Rewa, Satna, Sidhi and Singrauli, were forecast to receive heavy to very heavy rain accompanied by winds of 40-50 kmph. Amarkantak recorded 59 mm of rainfall by 8.30 am.
Jharkhand recorded heavy rainfall in several districts, with Gudabanda in East Singhbhum receiving 71.4 mm and Manjhari in West Singhbhum 64 mm since Wednesday evening. An orange alert was issued for six districts until Friday morning, while schools in several districts remained closed.
West Bengal also faced continued rainfall. Sagar Island recorded 81.8 mm in 24 hours, while Kolkata received 14.5 mm between Wednesday evening and Thursday evening. Heavy rain was forecast in parts of south Bengal until Friday and in several sub-Himalayan districts until Saturday morning.
Odisha faced the most severe immediate consequences, with floods and landslides cutting off villages in Ganjam and Gajapati districts. The state deployed 79 teams from disaster response agencies, while the Indian Coast Guard began airlifting people stranded by floodwaters.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said 299 villages in Ganjam had been affected, including 70 that were marooned, and 2,328 people were being airlifted from isolated villages. Rescue teams had evacuated 11,882 people in Ganjam, while 17,441 people had been moved to safety in Gajapati. Around 42,500 people in Ganjam and 20,000 in Gajapati were affected, she said. The Rushikulya river rose to 19 metres at Purushottampur, above its danger mark of 16.8 metres. Flooding also washed away around 300 metres of National Highway 326 in Gajapati, disrupting connectivity. Educational institutions in the affected districts were ordered to remain closed until October 31.
Cyclone Arnab weakened from a severe cyclonic storm into a depression over south Chhattisgarh and adjoining south Odisha on Thursday morning. The IMD expected it to weaken further into a well-marked low-pressure area by evening. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Puducherry, assuring them of all possible assistance as authorities continued to monitor conditions and coordinate relief operations.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.