Monsoon Downpours Swamp Central India, Reach Delhi

A week-long spell of intense monsoon rain is sweeping large parts of northern and central India, inundating cities and rural districts from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi and triggering severe floods in Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh has borne the brunt since 4 July, with the Narmada River overflowing in Mandla and Dindori, submerging ghats, temples and roads. Rescue teams from the National and State Disaster Response Forces have evacuated marooned residents, set up relief camps and conducted operations after a bridge on State Highway 22 collapsed near Narsinghpur. Villages in Mandla have been cut off as flood-waters rose rapidly. Earlier, heavy showers on 30 June left Lucknow and Varanasi waterlogged, while downpours on 2 July triggered similar scenes in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The system moved east and north over the weekend: Delhi and adjoining Noida woke to steady rain on 7 July, with standing water reported at Connaught Place, Akshardham and other arterial stretches, and Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand also recording fresh showers. With forecasts pointing to further rainfall, state authorities across the region have issued alerts urging caution, particularly in low-lying and riverine areas.