Heavy rains cause widespread disruption, floods and landslides in north India

Torrential rain across northern India has killed at least 22 people, as well as causing landslides and flash floods in the region, authorities and local media said on July 10, 2023. Schools in New Delhi were closed after heavy rains lashed the NCR over the weekend, and authorities in the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand asked people not to venture out of their homes unless necessary. At least 22 people died in floods and landslides in the northern states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab on Sunday. In the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, flash floods over the weekend brought down a bridge and swept away several hutments. Authorities used helicopters to rescue people stranded on roads and bridges because of the rain. Streets across the northern states, including in Delhi, Punjab and Uttarakhand were flooded. In some areas, rescue personnel used rubber rafts to rescue people stranded inside their homes, local media said. Delhi, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh have received 112%, 100% and 70% more rainfall than average so far in the current monsoon season that started on June 1, according to the department.