Thunderstorms were forecast in 17 districts in Telangana for Thursday (September 10, 2026)
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a thunderstorm forecast for 13 Telangana districts for Thursday (August 20, 2026)
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

Heavy rains lashed Palghar on Monday (July 6, 2026) , resulting in the death of one person, while hundreds of families had to be evacuated to safety, officials said. As of Monday (July 6, 2026) morning, the district recorded an average rainfall of 132.1 mm, with cumulative rainfall estimated to have breached the 350 mm to 400 mm mark. Vasai taluka recorded the highest downpour at 203.0 mm, followed by Wada at 180.6 mm, Palghar at 164.6 mm, and Dahanu at 103.1 mm.

“A total of 286 families from hamlets near Zanzroli dam region, including Mandal Pada, Devshet Pada, and Dhondal Pada, were shifted to secure locations. In other flood-prone areas, an additional 491 citizens were relocated, including 195 from Chandrapada–Wakipada in Vasai, 65 from Kaman–Bhendipada–Morigaon, 76 from Arnala, and 56 from Tembhi,” Collector Indu Rani Jakhar said.

The heavy downpour also inflicted damage on infrastructure, officials said.

– PTI

As heavy rains continued to pound Mumbai on Sunday, an 18-year-old motorcyclist and a senior citizen lost their lives in tree-collapse incidents, pushing the death toll from such tragedies in the city to three in less than a week.

According to civic officials, a tree collapsed on a shop near the Hindi BMC School in the Naupada locality of Kurla West around 12.40 p.m.

The victim, Yunus Kundawala, was extricated from the debris and rushed to Fauzia Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead, they said.

Mayor Ritu Tawde visited the site and also announced immediate financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh for the family of the deceased.

In a separate incident, an 18-year-old boy died after a tree branch fell on him while he was riding a motorcycle in the Aarey Colony area of Goregaon East.

– PTI

Relentless rains over the past 48 hours crippled life across Thane district in Maharashtra, causing waterlogging, tree falls and a gallery collapse at a building in which two persons were injured, officials said on Sunday (July 5).

The Thane Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) received 93 complaints during the last 24 hours, including 24 instances of tree falls, 22 branch falls, 24 of waterlogging, 8 compound wall collapses, and one landslide incident, they said.

Several low-lying areas in Thane city, Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Dombivli, and Navi Mumbai were flooded, leaving numerous residents marooned, they said.

-PTI

The IMD forecasted light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds, with speeds of 40-50 kmph, across Jharkhand over the next four days.

The weather office issued an ‘orange’ alert (be prepared) for isolated thunderstorms and lightning across all 24 districts on Saturday (July 4, 2026), followed by a ‘yellow’ alert (be updated) from July 6 to 8.

According to the IMD bulletin, Latehar, Palamu, Chatra and Garhwa districts are likely to receive heavy rainfall on Sunday (July 5, 2026).

On Monday (July 6, 2026), Hazaribag, Ramgarh, Latehar, Chatra and Ranchi districts are expected to witness heavy rain, while Khunti, Gumla, Simdega and West Singhbhum are likely to receive heavy showers on Tuesday (July 7, 2026).

“Cloudy conditions are likely to prevail, with a possibility of light to moderate rainfall across the State, and heavy rain is expected at isolated places. There will be no significant change in the maximum temperature over the next five days,” the bulletin said.

“We have issued an ‘orange’ alert for isolated thunderstorms and lightning across all 24 districts of the State for Saturday and a ‘yellow’ alert from July 6 to July 8. The wind speed will be up to 40-50 kmph,” IMD Ranchi Deputy Director Abhishek Anand said. – PTI

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange thunderstorm warning in six Telangana districts and a yellow thunderstorm warning in 20 districts for Wednesday, June 3
| Photo Credit: India Meteorological Department

Officials were directed to provide adequate tarpaulin sheets to cover paddy at procurement centres. The image is used for representative purposes only.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Silhouette of a ferris wheel cuts across the view of blazing orange sky as the sun dips over Secunderabad on Tuesday (May 5, 2026)
| Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR

Hurricane Melissa intensified on Tuesday (October 28, 2025) before making landfall in Jamaica, where officials and residents braced for catastrophic winds, flash flooding and landslides from the Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history.

The streets in the capital, Kingston, remained largely empty as Melissa approached with 185 mph (295 kph) winds, save for the lone stray dog crossing puddles and a handful of people walking briskly under tree branches waving in a stiff wind.

Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council, urged people to seek shelter and stay indoors as the storm crosses the island.

“Jamaica, this is not the time to be brave,” he said.

The Jamaican government said it had done all it could to prepare as it warned of devastating damage from the strongest hurricane to hit the island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago.

“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said. “The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.” Massive wind damage is expected in Melissa’s core and Jamaica’s highest mountains could see gusts of up to 200 mph (322 kph), said Michael Brennan, director of the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami.

“It’s going to be a very dangerous scenario,” he said, warning that there would be “total building failures.” Melissa is the fifth most intense Atlantic basin hurricane on record by pressure and the strongest to make landfall since Hurricane Dorian in 2019, according to hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry.

It is “a worst-case scenario unfolding for Jamaica,” he said.

Jamaica prepares for aftermath

Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported as Melissa approached, with officials in Jamaica cautioning that the cleanup and damage assessment could be slow. The storm is expected to slice diagonally across the island and head for Cuba.

On Tuesday morning, Melissa was centered about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Negril, Jamaica, and about 145 miles (235 kilometers) southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba. The system had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph) and was moving north-northeast at 9 mph (15 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.

A life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) is expected across southern Jamaica, with officials concerned about the impact on some hospitals along the coastline. Health Minister Christopher Tufton said some patients were relocated from the ground floor to the second floor, “and (we) hope that will suffice for any surge that will take place.”

One man called a local radio station and said he urgently needed to help a woman in western Jamaica who had gone into labour as the storm prepared to make landfall. The show’s host pleaded with listeners to let the man know the safest hospital for the woman. An obstetrician called in and provided detailed directions on how to deliver a baby, if necessary.

Colin Bogle, a Mercy Corps adviser based near Kingston, said most families are sheltering in place despite the government ordering evacuations in flood-prone communities.

“Many have never experienced anything like this before, and the uncertainty is frightening,” he said. “There is profound fear of losing homes and livelihoods, of injury, and of displacement.”

McKenzie said the government was prepared for rescues immediately after the storm: “We have boats, helicopters, you name it.”

The storm was already blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

Necephor Mghendi, the International Red Cross’ regional head of delegation for the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, said an estimated 1.5 million people in the storm’s path will be affected but “the entire population may feel the impact one way or the other.”

More than 240,000 customers were without power before landfall, and about one-fourth of the telecommunications system was offline, said Darryl Vaz, transport and energy minister. He said crews will clean and run tests at the island’s two main international airports Wednesday in hopes of receiving emergency relief flights as early as Thursday.

UN agencies and dozens of nonprofits had food, medicine and other essential supplies positioned as they awaited a distribution rush after the storm.

Matthew Samuda, Jamaica’s water and environment minister, said he had more than 50 generators available to deploy after the storm, but warned people to set aside clean water and use it sparingly.

“Every drop will count,” he said.

Melissa takes aim at Cuba

Melissa was expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Up to 51 centimetres of rain were forecast in areas, along with a significant storm surge along the coast.

Authorities in eastern Holguín province prepared to evacuate more than 200,000 people Tuesday and evacuated a similar number of people earlier from the town of Banes.

Reports on social media and state television showed blue and white buses ferrying evacuees to shelter early Tuesday. Families clutched babies and belongings and elderly people steadied themselves with canes as they disembarked.

“This phenomenon is very dangerous,” Deputy Prime Minister Eduardo Martínez said in a statement from Banes, where he was located in what appeared to be a shelter. “It is unprecedented.”

Melissa has also drenched the southern regions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with a tropical storm warning still in effect for Haiti. The hurricane was forecast to turn northeast and strike the southeast Bahamas by Wednesday evening.

Published – October 28, 2025 11:42 pm IST