5 dead, over 100 houses damaged as heavy rain lash UP; thunderstorms, more rain likely

The heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds also damaged standing crops in rural areas and over 100 houses across.

Six people were killed in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh as several parts of the state witnessed downpour, with 63 districts recording rainfall above normal and some areas facing a moderate risk of flash floods.

The heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds also damaged standing crops in rural areas and over 100 houses across the state, as it received 19 times the normal rainfall in the past 24 hours, according to officials.

Lucknow recorded 125.8 mm of rainfall in the 21 hours ending Saturday morning; Farrukhabad recorded 200 times its normal rainfall, while Kanpur Nagar received 160 times and Kannauj, Kanpur Dehat and Hardoi 130 times the normal rainfall.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at several places in eastern Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, while thunderstorms and gusty winds are also likely. Rain and thundershowers may continue at several places on Sunday.

The latest weather system, a depression over northeast Madhya Pradesh and adjoining north Chhattisgarh, was moving north-northwestwards towards southeast Uttar Pradesh. At 5.30 am on Saturday, it was centred about 230 km south of Prayagraj, officials said.

The system is likely to remain a depression while moving towards southeast Uttar Pradesh till Saturday evening and subsequently weaken gradually into a well-marked low-pressure area during the following 12 hours, the IMD said.

The weather office warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall across several parts of the state, with isolated extremely heavy rainfall also possible in the central Terai region. Some watersheds (drainage basins) in central and Terai Uttar Pradesh face a light to moderate risk of flash floods during the next 24 hours, it said.

Giving details about the rain-related deaths, police said five people were killed in three separate incidents of mud-wall collapses, while a man was killed after a tree fell. All the casualties were reported from Lakhimpur Kheri, Amethi and Barabanki districts.

In Lakhimpur Kheri's Rahmat Nagar village, three members of a family were killed after a mud wall of their hut collapsed when the family was asleep early Saturday. In Amethi, 32-year-old Usha Devi was killed after a wall of a dilapidated mud house collapsed in Balbhadrapur village under the Jamo police station area. A 38-year-old woman, Sunita Devi, was killed in Barabanki after a mud wall of a house collapsed in Gopalpur village under the Ramnagar police station area on Friday night.

In another rain-related incident in Barabanki, 45-year-old Sanjay Verma was killed when a roadside tree fell on him in Chheda Bazar village under the Mohammadpur Khala police station area on Saturday.

Verma was returning home on his motorcycle after selling milk when the tree fell on him, killing him on the spot.

The intensified rainfall also brought waterlogging and traffic disruptions at several places, while residents in low-lying areas faced difficulties as rain continued through the night.

"Several roads were waterlogged (in the morning). Movement became difficult in many places," Praveen Singh, a local, said.

Another local said the strong winds accompanying the rain added to the difficulties. "The rain was heavy, and the wind was quite strong. People were forced to take shelter in many places," he said.

The impact was also visible in Ayodhya, where rain and strong winds affected movement around Ram Path, the Ram temple, Hanumangarhi, Kanak Bhawan and the Saryu area.

Devotees and locals faced difficulties in moving through open areas as gusty winds accompanied the showers.

"The rain did not stop people from visiting the temple, but walking around became difficult because of the water and strong wind," said Ramesh Sahu, a devotee in Ayodhya.

In rural parts of the state, farmers reported damage to standing crops due to strong winds and rain, with several crops falling to the ground.

Farmers expressed concern that prolonged rain and strong winds could increase the damage.

"If the rain and wind continue, more crops could fall, and the losses will increase," Pramod Kumar, a farmer in Hardoi, said.

The state government has already put district administrations on alert given the forecast and the possibility of flash floods.

The administration has identified several districts as vulnerable to sudden flooding, including Azamgarh, Ballia, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Basti, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Gonda, Hardoi, Lucknow, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Barabanki, Amethi, Kaushambi and Chitrakoot, and ordered schools to remain closed in districts under red alert and facing the possibility of flash floods.