Early monsoon brings trouble to Uttarakhand state, India

early-monsoon-brings-trouble-to-uttarakhand-state-india

Over the last few weeks torrential rainfall across northern India and Nepal has been inducing widespread flooding, cloudbursts, riverbank erosions and massive landslides. Heavy monsoon rains started about two weeks earlier than usual. 

Torrential downpours in northern India swept away roads, buildings and vehicles. The worst damage was reported in the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, located in the foothills of the Himalayas. The River Ganges and tributaries are flowing above danger level in several areas of Uttarakhand state.

METEOSAT-7 satellite image taken at 05:00 UTC on June 11, 2013 (Credit: NOAA/EUMETSAT)

This image above from June 11, 2013 shows a monsoon storm that formed over Uttarakhand State in northwest India, that along with subsequent rains led to thousands of people, including pilgrims to Hindu temples in the Himalayan foothills, being trapped by raging water courses that have destroyed infrastructure, prompting a massive rescue operation that is still underway to rescue people all over the region as of June 24, 2013.

New Delhi began receiving monsoon rains about two weeks ahead of schedule this year, and the India Meteorology Department reports that as of June 17, 2013 all India rainfall levels are at an astounding 68% above normal so far.  

Source: NOAA NWS Climate Prediction Center Realtime Monsoon Index

Featured image: METEOSAT-7 satellite image taken at 05:00 UTC on June 11, 2013 (Credit: NOAA/EUMETSAT)

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