<keyword id="22598687" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Monsoonal-rains" source="keywords">Monsoonal rains</keyword> have been beating down on <keyword id="19918812" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttarakhand" source="keywords">Uttarakhand</keyword> for a while now, but the northwestern state is gearing up for another spell of <keyword id="20301827" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heavy-rainfall" source="keywords">heavy rainfall</keyword>, particularly on Wednesday. Torrential rains started lashing parts of the state in the evening hours on Sunday and continued for five hours till 1 AM on Monday. During this period, 136 mm of rainfall was recorded in Jolly Grant, 101 mm in Shama (Bageshwar), 93.2 mm in <keyword id="19897132" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dehradun" source="keywords">Dehradun</keyword>, 42.2 mm in Karnprayag, and 41.1 mm in Narendra Nagar. On Monday morning, a giant banyan tree fell on Darshan Lal Chowk, causing cracks in the walls of an adjacent temple. In another incident, a tree fell on Pathri Bagh Chowk, causing an electricity pole to collapse and disrupting traffic for some time. Now, according to the Meteorological Center, the inclement weather is likely to continue affecting Uttarakhand for the next few days. Up to widespread moderate showers accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning are likely in the state during the next five days. Isolated heavy to very heavy rains (64.5 mm-204.5 mm) are expected between Tuesday to Friday (July 30-August 2). Dehradun, Pithoragarh, Pauri, Bageshwar, Haridwar, Almora, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts are likely to experience one or two spells of heavy rain on Tuesday. The intensity of rainfall is expected to increase on Wednesday. Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Pauri, Dehradun, Tehri, Champawat, and Nainital districts are likely to receive very heavy rainfall. In view of this, an <keyword id="20169543" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="orange-alert" source="keywords">orange alert</keyword> has been issued. <keyword id="20301828" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="flood-warnings" source="keywords">Flood warnings</keyword> have also been issued in Dehradun, Pauri Garhwal, Almora, Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts today due to the possibility of flooding and inundation — particularly in low-lying areas. Those residing near rivers are advised to maintain a safe distance from the water bodies and take other necessary precautions. As for mercury levels, daytime temperatures have risen above normal in many parts of the state despite the wet conditions. Dehradun recorded a maximum temperature of 35.2°C, which is five degrees above normal, and a minimum temperature of 24°C, one degree above normal. Pantnagar recorded a maximum temperature of 35.6°C, three degrees above normal, and a minimum temperature of 17.3°C. Mukteshwar recorded a maximum temperature of 22.8°C and a minimum temperature of 17.0°C. Tehri recorded a maximum temperature of 26.4°C and a minimum temperature of 18.7°C. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="110176038" title="10 best beginner-friendly treks in Uttarakhand" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Monsoons to unleash heavy rains over Uttarakhand; flood alerts issued in Dehradun, Almora, Chamoli, Bageshwar

The devastating <keyword id="21208239" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monsoon-season" source="keywords">monsoon season</keyword> of 2024 has inflicted profound tragedy across <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>, marked by a series of catastrophic events. In <keyword id="19896018" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Kerala" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Kerala">Kerala</keyword>, relentless rains triggered deadly <keyword id="19964849" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="landslides" source="keywords">landslides</keyword>, leaving scores feared dead and hundreds trapped under debris. These are scenarios that have become alarmingly common this year due to the torrential rainfall and improper disaster-abating infrastructure in our country. <h2>Monsoon mayhem across India</h2>Since the onset of the monsoon in June, nearly 150 people have lost their lives in various rain-related incidents across India. The situation has been particularly dire in states like Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Kerala. <ul><li>Gujarat: The state has reported 65 deaths due to heavy rainfall, the highest so far this season. Many of these lives were lost due to widespread flooding, landslides and other rain-related incidents.</li><li>Himachal Pradesh: With 56 fatalities, the state has faced severe flooding and landslides, causing extensive damage to infrastructure and necessitating massive <keyword id="20501159" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rescue-operations" source="keywords">rescue operations</keyword>.</li><li>Delhi: The capital experienced its heaviest June rainfall in 88 years, resulting in six deaths and significant disruptions, including the closure of a terminal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.</li><li>Maharashtra: Recent heavy rains have claimed six lives and injured 12 after triggering a landslide that trapped many in Lavasa. The downpours also inundated many houses in low-lying parts of the state.</li><li>Kerala: Landslides triggered by incessant rains around 2 AM on Tuesday trapped hundreds and resulted in 54 deaths so far, with rescue operations ongoing. The landslides have hit many areas, including Mundakkai, Attamal, Chooralmala and Kunhone.</li></ul> The Indian government, along with state authorities, has been actively engaged in rescue and relief operations. In Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced financial aid for affected families and coordinated with the National Disaster Response Force and other agencies for evacuation and relief efforts. In Delhi, the government, assisted by the army, managed rescue operations and worked to restore essential services disrupted by the flooding of the <keyword id="20334716" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yamuna-river" source="keywords">Yamuna River</keyword>. 200 soldiers have also been deployed to Kerala to assist the landslide-trapped. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112127108" title="IMD issues Red alert for Wayanad, neighbouring districts" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><h2><keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">Climate change</keyword> and increased vulnerability</h2>Forecasters and scientists have been warning that such events are only set to turn more frequent and deadly in the coming years, thanks to climate change. Rising temperatures have the ability to lead to more intense monsoon rains, increasing the likelihood of <keyword id="19912527" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="floods" source="keywords">floods</keyword> and landslides. Further, increased soil saturation and flooding can also undermine the stability of railway tracks, leading to higher risks of derailments during such periods of intense rain. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112125756" title="Wayanad landslides: NDRF teams, Army choppers, Ministers rush to Wayanad" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the monsoon season in 2023 saw around 170 <keyword id="21330823" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="rain-related-deaths" source="keywords">rain-related deaths</keyword> by the end of July, as per media reports. This year, the toll has already surpassed this figure, indicating the growing severity of weather events attributed to climate change. <h2>Increased budget for disaster management</h2>However, there is good news in the fact that the Government is taking notice. In response to the increasing frequency of such <keyword id="21172782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="disasters" source="keywords">disasters</keyword>, the Union Budget 2024-25 has made substantial allocations towards disaster prevention and management, even earmarking special relief funds for several states grappling with regular disasters, such as Bihar, Assam, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim for flood management, landslide and related projects. As per the Ministry of Finance, through the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme and other sources, government will provide financial support for projects with estimated cost of Rs 11,500 crore such as the Kosi-Mechi intra-state link and 20 other ongoing and new schemes including barrages, river pollution abatement and irrigation projects. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112128671" title="Kerala landslides: Toll climbs to 45, rescue ops underway" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>With the monsoon season still in progress, the government and disaster management agencies remain on high alert. Continuous efforts are being made to improve infrastructure resilience and enhance early warning systems to mitigate the impact of such natural disasters. However, the ongoing challenges posed by climate change necessitate sustained and comprehensive strategies to protect vulnerable populations and infrastructure.

Kerala landslide adds to tally of over 180 rain-related deaths since June

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 21 (ANI): The India Meteorological Department (<keyword id="6366970" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IMD" source="Orion">IMD</keyword>) has forecast heavy rains in several Uttarakhand districts including the capital Dehradun. The IMD has issued an <keyword id="2917676" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="orange-alert" source="Orion">orange alert</keyword> for Dehradun, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat and Bageshwar districts while a <keyword id="3290791" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yellow-alert" source="Orion">yellow alert</keyword> has been issued for Haridwar, Tehri, Chamoli, Udham Singh Nagar and Pithoragarh districts. Heavy rains in Uttarakhand had triggered landslides and flash floods in several places, officials said. An official estimate earlier put the toll from rain-related incidents in the state at 52 while another 37 people were injured. Even today, a part of the famous Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple in Dehradun has collapsed following incessant rain. Devotees faced problems as the way leading to the temple's entrance was partially blocked due to the falling of trees. (ANI)

IMD issues orange alert for Dehradun, Pauri, Nainital of Uttarakhand

<ul><li><keyword id="6366970" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IMD" source="Orion">IMD</keyword> has issued an <keyword id="2917676" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="orange-alert" source="Orion">orange alert</keyword> in Mumbai, Assam and Meghalaya due to intense rainfall.</li><li>Heavy rainfall with thunderstorms likely to hit north, northeastern and southern states in the next five days.</li><li>Whereas, no warning has been issued for Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Marathwada and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.</li></ul>In the next 2-3 days, there would be heavy rainfall across northern, central and eastern parts of India, according to the <keyword id="55209" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Meteorological-Department" source="Orion">Indian Meteorological Department</keyword> (IMD). It has even issued orange alerts in Mumbai, Assam and Meghalaya in anticipation of intense rainfall – shifting gears from one extreme weather to another. Assam and Meghalaya — which are two worst hit states by flood — are likely to receive more rain today. Around 52 people have died in these two states due to floods and 44 lakh people have been displaced so far. The IMD has indicated a strong chance of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra. Chennai too is expected to be the epicenter of heavy rainfall – along adjoining districts like Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam localities. The state witnessed a heavy downpour on Sunday, June 19, as well which is an indication of more thunderstorms in the coming days in Chennai and suburbs in addition to a downpour on Monday. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Heavy rainfall with thunderstorms likely in north and the northeast" comment="subhead" text="Heavy rainfall with thunderstorms likely in north and the northeast">Heavy rainfall with thunderstorms likely in north and the northeast</cmsannotation> According to sub-division wise warnings by IMD, northern states like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh are likely to experience heavy rainfall along with thunderstorms and lightning. The rain will bring a reprieve from the scorching heat especially in the northern states of India. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh and East Rajasthan may witness only lightning and thunderstorms. Similar conditions are likely to surface in Bihar, Jharkhand and East Uttar Pradesh. Widespread rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning very likely to occur in Odisha, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh in the next five days. Heavy rainfall is likely to occur in Gujarat region and Madhya Maharashtra, as per the IMD report. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms" comment="subhead" text="Cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms">Cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms</cmsannotation> IMD has also predicted that the sky condition is likely to be partly cloudy for the next 24 hours in the southern states. Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, South Interior Karnataka may witness heavy rainfall along with thunderstorms and lightning. Similar conditions are likely to prevail in northeastern states as well — West Bengal and Sikkim, Gangetic West Bengal, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. Saurashtra and Kutch, Coastal Karnataka and Kerala are likely to experience strong surface winds. However, no warning has been issued for Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Marathwada and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/life-in-rural-india-hit-by-a-wilted-rabi-crop/articleshow/92333426.cms">Vanished savings, trading down to cheaper essentials – life in rural India hit by a wilted Rabi crop</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/bengaluru-attempts-to-promote-e-mobility-by-setting-up-nearly-150-new-ev-charging-stations-across-the-city/articleshow/92331903.cms">Bengaluru attempts to promote e-mobility by setting up nearly 150 new EV charging stations across the city</a>

India heads into the thunderstorm zone right after the heatwave, orange alerts issued

<ul><li><keyword id="6354936" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="yamuna" source="Orion">Yamuna</keyword> water level in the national capital has once again crossed the danger mark.</li><li>The financial capital of the country, <keyword id="6358070" type="General" weightage="40" keywordseo="mumbai" source="Orion">Mumbai</keyword>, has received heavy downpours since morning.</li><li>Kinnaur and Spiti Valley in Himachal have been cut off from Shimla</li></ul> Weather continues to play havoc in many parts of the country. The national capital, Delhi has again seen more than expected rain on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and <keyword id="6358126" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="himachal-pradesh" source="Orion">Himachal Pradesh</keyword> continue their tryst with the bad weather which has left many homeless. The financial capital of the country, Mumbai, has also received heavy downpour since morning and this is expected to continue till late evening. Here is a quick update of what’s happening in these areas across the country. Uttarakhand: Yamunotri National Highway blocked The traffic on the Yamunotri National Highway has been suspended due to the continuous debris falling at five places of Uttarkashi including Dabarkot and Jhar Jhar Gad. "Efforts are on to open the highway by the National Highway Authority Barkot. Passengers are stranded at various places on the highway due to the closure of the highway," according to District Disaster ManagementoOfficer, Uttarkashi. Apart from this, the Chamiala-Budhakedar Motor road has been also closed due to excessive water and debris in Chail Gadere in Lata village in Himachal Pradesh. The District Disaster Management Officer of Tehri District, Brijesh Bhatt informed that due to the surge in the water level of Gadere, water and debris have entered 5-6 houses. Delhi: Yamuna's water level breaches danger mark again The water level of River Yamuna surges again, as it was recorded at 205.83 at 10:00 am on Thursday. Notably, the danger mark of the Yamuna is 205.33 meters. After days of receding, the Yamuna water level in the national capital once again crossed the danger mark amid incessant rains in Delhi and adjoining areas. In the NCR, the Hindon River also witnessed a rise in the water level. Visuals showed that the area near Ecotech 3 got submerged following the surged water level due to which many vehicles got stuck in the water. Himachal Pradesh: Kinnaur, Spiti valley cut off from Shimla The Kinnaur and Spiti Valley, both tribal districts, have been cut off from Shimla, the national capital, following the blockade of National Highway 5 (Hindustan-Tibet Road) due to rock falling, landslides, and sinking of road. The National Highway has been blocked at Baroni, Manglad, and Pashada near Jhakri in the Rampur Subdivision of Shimla. Alternate routes are also closed due to heavy rains and landslides. The Luhri-Aut National Highway (305) is also blocked at three places and gushing waters have entered many houses. Stranded, drivers of public transport vehicles are running out of food and trying to cross the blocked stretches on foot. Videos of people crossing the landslides on foot amid risk of stone falling and landslides have been widely circulated on the internet. Incessant rains in Mumbai; IMD forecasts heavy to very heavy showers Heavy rains lashed Mumbai and suburbs in the last 24 hours with some areas receiving extremely heavy showers, officials said on Thursday. The city witnessed incessant rainfall since Thursday morning, but there was no report of any major waterlogging in low-lying areas, they said. The India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Mumbai centre has predicted "heavy to very heavy rain" in the city on Thursday. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared a holiday for all government and private schools and colleges here on Thursday after the IMD issued a 'red' alert for the metropolis. Maharashtra: Traffic blocked on one arm of Mumbai-Pune Expressway The highway police on Thursday blocked the movement of vehicles on the Mumbai-bound arm of the Pune-Mumbai Expressway for two hours to remove boulders and mud on the carriageway, officials said. Due to incessant rains in the region, a landslide occurred on July 23 near the Adoshi tunnel on the busy road, said an official. The special two-hour traffic block was taken from 12 noon and 2 pm, he said. So far, the highway police have taken three such blocks to remove the debris and mud on the Mumbai-bound lane of the Expressway, he said. Telangana administration on high alert The Telangana government has put the entire state administration on high alert in view of the incessant rains that have been lashing the state during the last couple of days. Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari said that as per the directions of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the flood situation in the state is being constantly monitored with the senior officials along with district collectors and superintendents of the police. (With input from wires)

When it rains, it pours – Mumbai drenched, Yamuna above danger mark, Himalayan highways blocked and more

<ul><li>Glacier break in <keyword id="44522" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</keyword> causes massive flood in <keyword id="65619" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Joshimath">Joshimath</keyword> area</li><li>More than 150 labourers working in a <keyword id="47379" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Power-project">power project</keyword> are missing, officials said.</li><li>ITBP and <keyword id="381767" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="State-Disaster-Response-Force">State Disaster Response Force</keyword> (SDRF) personnel have been rushed to the affected areas to evacuate stranded people.</li></ul>There was a massive flood in Uttarakhand's Joshimath area due to the water level in <keyword id="10719688" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="dhauliganga-river">Dhauliganga river</keyword> suddenly crossing its regular flow on Sunday morning followed by an avalanche near a power project at the Reni village of Chamoli district. The incident took place near the Reni village, which is 26 km far from Joshimath. The Dhauliganga river got flooded and destroyed many houses situated at the river banksides. Though there were few details available immediately, more than 150 labourers working at the Rishi <keyword id="6357202" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ganga">Ganga</keyword> power project may have been directly affected, said State Disaster Response Force DIG Ridhim Aggarwal. The <keyword id="6392347" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="indo-tibetan-border-police">Indo-Tibetan Border Police</keyword> (ITBP) said that there was some cloudburst or breaching of the reservoir at around 10 a.m. which resulted in the flooding in Dhauliganga -- one of the six source streams of the Ganges river. The 85 km river meets the Alaknanda River at Vishnuprayag at the base of Joshimath mountain in Uttarakhand. Several labourers working at the Rishi Ganga hydroelectric power project were feared missing after a <keyword id="10719918" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="glacier-broke">glacier broke</keyword>. A dam of the Tapovan power project was breached and feared to have been washed away. ITBP and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel have been rushed to the affected areas to evacuate stranded people. "Casualties feared. Hundreds of ITBP men rushed for rescue," the ITBP said. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has convened an emergency meeting to take stock of the situation and to supervise rescue and relief operations. Though the impact of the disaster may not be felt in Rishikesh and Haridwar, the towns have been put on alert. A government spokesman said that there was not much human habitation at the site where the glacier broke but a number of power projects have been hit. The government has also appealed to the people not to venture near the Ganga river. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/heres-why-you-arent-being-able-to-apply-for-brookfield-reit-ipo-through-zerodha-groww-angel-broking-and-other-stockbroking-apps/articleshow/80686457.cms">Here's why you aren't being able to apply for Brookfield REIT IPO through Zerodha, Groww and other stockbroking apps</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/analysts-explain-why-indigo-paints-shares-fell-with-a-thud-just-like-burger-king-and-mrs-bectors-and-what-to-do-with-it-now/articleshow/80704864.cms">Indigo Paints joins the league of Burger King and Bector's — frenzied IPOs that fizzled out</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-india-stack-that-bill-gates-and-sundar-pichai-so-love-is-set-to-get-much-bigger-thanks-to-the-indian-governments-new-blockchain-strategy/articleshow/80718403.cms">The India stack that Bill Gates and Sundar Pichai so love is set to get much bigger – thanks to the Indian government’s new blockchain strategy</a>

Massive flood as glacier breaks near Uttarakhand's Joshimath, 150 labourers missing

<ul><li><keyword id="164166" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Southwest-monsoon" source="Orion">Southwest Monsoon</keyword> is likely to advance over some parts of <keyword id="6555079" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Southwest-Arabian-Sea" source="Orion">Southwest Arabian Sea</keyword>, Maldives and Comorin area, South and East- central Bay of Bengal and some parts of Northeast Bay of Bengal during next 48 hours.</li><li>No big heat waves would occur in the country over the next five days.</li><li>The Met department had already announced a month ago that the monsoon rainfall this year over the country as a whole is most likely to be normal</li></ul>It could be the most awaited monsoon in the recent years as Indian suffered through a severe heatwave this summer — and it’s coming in the next 48 hours according to the <keyword id="55209" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="indian-meteorological-department" source="Orion">Indian Meteorological Department</keyword> (<keyword id="6366970" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="imd" source="Orion">IMD</keyword>). IMD said that the <keyword id="6444246" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="southwest" source="Orion">Southwest</keyword> Monsoon is likely to advance over some parts of Southwest Arabian Sea, Maldives and Comorin area, South and East-central Bay of Bengal and some parts of Northeast Bay of Bengal in the next two days. The IMD also predicted that no big heat waves would occur in the country for the next five days. <div type="twitter" handle="Indiametdept" handlename="India Meteorological Department" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1512846608882618369/vRo-Pq0A_normal.jpg" favoritecount="100" retweetcount="18" status="Isolated heavy rainfall also likely over Kerala &amp; Mahe today and over Tamilnadu on 25th &amp; 26th May.Squally weather… https://t.co/LZavwK54sU" createdat="1653464055000" id="1529365212318425088"></div> The Met department had already announced a month ago that the monsoon rainfall this year over the country as a whole is most likely to be normal - quantitatively 99% of the Long Period Average (LPA). <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Heavy rainfall in southern and northeastern states of India" comment="subhead" text="Heavy rainfall in southern and northeastern states of India">Heavy rainfall in southern and northeastern states of India</cmsannotation> IMD had <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/imd-warns-of-heavy-rainfall-in-these-areas-on-25-may-shares-update-on-south-west-monsoon-forecast-here-11653467944982.html">predicted</a> that Kerala, Mahe, Lakshadweep and Tamil Nadu would witness heavy downpours this week. Earlier, IMD had announced that the Southwest monsoon is likely to knock on Kerala's door on May 27, against the normal onset date of June 1. "This year, the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala is likely to be earlier than the normal date of onset. The monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be on May 27 with a model error of plus or minus four days," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. According to the weather company, the overall rainfall in the South would be less than normal. “In June, low-level easterly winds are likely to cover over southern region, keeping the southwest winds suppressed, leading to below average rainfall over southern India for the first month of the monsoon season,” says The Weather Company. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Flood situation in Assam might escalate" comment="subhead" text="Flood situation in Assam might escalate">Flood situation in Assam might escalate</cmsannotation> Northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura — are likely to experience a heavy shower on May 25 and 29, while Assam and Meghalaya between May 25-29. Assam is currently reeling from severe floods due to heavy rainfall, and 26 people have lost their lives due to it. The flood has affected around 5.8 lakh people across 17 districts. IMD predicts more heavy rainfall likely to occur in the northeastern state of India, which can further escalate the situation. Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are likely to foresee a hailstorm activity with slight gusty wind, thunderstorm and lightning between May 28 - 29. Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are likely to receive rainfall between May 28-29. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/retail-inflation-could-soften-by-50-60-basis-points-on-government-interventions-care/articleshow/91814481.cms">Retail inflation could soften by 50-60 basis points on government interventions: CARE</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tata-steel-jsw-sail-and-jspl-will-lose-half-of-their-export-biz-as-government-wages-war-on-inflation/articleshow/91814365.cms">Tata Steel, JSW, SAIL and JSPL will lose half of their export biz as government wages war on inflation</a>

Heatwave is gone and heavy rainfall, hailstorms in the next 5 days —  IMD issues alert

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/54312686.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" />Time and again, we have seen and read about many natural disasters that have caused great havoc in the world, killing thousands of people and destroying properties and livelihood. 
 
Despite the fact that the human race has made tremendous technological progress in various fields, predicting and preventing natural disasters is one area where we haven’t been able to surpass the supremacy of Nature. Despite the technological and scientific advancements in this field, and ground breaking developments in weather forecast techniques, disasters at many times cannot be accurately predicted. 
 
Dark days for India 
Any Indian won’t easily forget the destruction caused by the tsunami in Southern India which was triggered by a major earthquake in 2004 and the back-to-back floods in Uttarakhand and Kashmir in 2013 and 2104 respectively. Damages of these floods ranged from $7 billion to $15 billion, impacting more than 2 million Indians. 
 For those of us in the services industry whose mission is to keep organizations’ information technology operations always up and running, or rapidly recover when a disaster strikes, we have a new way of computing that did not exist five years ago – an evolved cognitive system called the <keyword id="816754" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="IBM-Watson">IBM Watson</keyword>. 
 According to a new study by <keyword id="10875" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IBM">IBM</keyword> and Forbes Insights, cognitive computing is enabling a new class of products and services that sense, reason and learn about their users and the world around them. 
 
The Cognitive Relevance 
Cognitive systems have advanced intuitive capabilities that are similar to humans. They can think, observe and direct a course of action based on facts. They have a capability to radically redefine everyday life and enable organizational transformation by engaging and interacting with the company’s stakeholders to learn and make more informed decisions. As of now, this technology is being used by industries - so far including Healthcare, Education, Retail, Commerce - and has potential to be used by the government and other critical industries. 
 As an example, using weather data and Twitter feeds insurance companies are able to use an application powered by <keyword id="6411673" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Watson">Watson</keyword> for real-time weather insights to alert clients about hazardous conditions, such as a hailstorm, and suggest alternate routes or shelter locations. 
 Airlines have the opportunity to combine real-time and historical data to reduce delays and optimize fuel consumption. Utility services could be able to better predict outages and respond more quickly when <keyword id="93858" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bad-weather">bad weather</keyword> strikes. 
 
IBM keeping the enterprise running with Cognitive 
At IBM, we are investing in new capabilities to help clients move from reactive business continuity and disaster recovery planning to a cognitive and predictive resiliency program. The goal is to avoid the impact of a disaster before it occurs. 
 
Here are some ways that cognitive computing can help keep companies up and running during disasters: 
 
Preempting Failures to avoid it 
Predicting weather events with more accurate probability is only one of many tools in the field of preemptive failures. Cognitive systems can run analyses on different data sets, using correlation analysis and time-series analysis to predict failures. By mapping network service orders with past equipment failures, organizations can see which scenarios would most likely result in a failure and avoid a full-blown breakdown. 
 
Analyze best practices 
Consider two companies with state-of-the-art resiliency plans. In the same scenario, one company is experiencing outages while the other does not. What are they doing differently? The answer might not be obvious. It could be very minor variations in their respective technologies that make all the difference. A cognitive system can compare multiple variables across multiple companies to look for correlations that define the most successful practices. 
 
Integrate the cognitive agent into technical support 
Every moment that a service system is down translates into lost revenue, decreased productivity and frustrated users. A cognitive agent can answer questions with precision to get the systems back online faster whenever there are technical issues. IBM Watson, for example, responds with an answer in less than a second reducing the time it takes to determine the problem by up to 37 percent. 
 
Resiliency Communication as a Service 
Traditional response plans and incident communications may have been acceptable 5 years ago, but not today. Pre-planning still needs to be done – but with a different focus, and engineered into a platform that enables teams to respond quickly, doing the right thing at the right time, and keeping leaders informed as the event progresses. 
 
Rather than lagging behind a disruptive event and sending out-of-date status reports that can be hours old before they are read by the recipient, Resiliency Communication-as-a-Service lets organizations close the gap, and provide near instantaneous updates to decision makers. This improves the quality, accuracy and timeliness of updates enabling improved decision making, reducing the duration of the disruption and mitigating losses. 
 
IBM RCaaS is a fully integrated platform that can receive and track status information not only from human response teams, but critical assets from the Internet of Things (internet connected appliances). In addition to tracking the actions of systems and devices that are part of your response process, it can also issue commands to internet connected devices – whether to unlock secured access points in the event of a fire, or automatically close loading bay doors or hurricane shutters when needed. 
 
In an emergency, speed is essential. Including cognitive analytics in disaster recovery and business continuity plans helps to prioritize the best way to effectively allocate assets to notify customers, restore systems and services and assist employees. 
 
(The article is authored by Vikas Prasad, Associate Director at IBM Global Technology Services for India/South Asia.)

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