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Flood Crisis in Lucknow Shifts to Shelter and Clean Water Needs

Thousands of residents in flood-hit parts of Lucknow now face a fight for safety, shelter, and clean drinking water.
Waterlogging has given way to deeper problems in several localities.

In Faizullaganj, one of the worst-affected areas, floodwaters have entered homes and lanes.
Families have evacuated with the belongings they can carry.
Residents say a bedridden elderly man had to be carried to safety by four people as water levels rose.

Local updates indicate more than 1 lakh people have been affected.
Over 40,000 houses stand partially submerged.
In some spots, water has reached neck level and slowed movement.

A resident, Deepika Srivastava, said stagnant water outside her home remained uncleared.
She added that families face a drinking water shortage and growing concerns over waterborne diseases.
Another resident, Abhishek, noted that most families in his neighbourhood have already left.
He said watching a neighbour being carried out was difficult and that his family may also need to shift.

Anger has sparked protests in several areas.
In Faizullaganj, resident Adarsh Verma staged a demonstration in floodwater and alleged inadequate relief in interior localities.
These claims could not be independently verified.
In Millat Nagar, residents protested from a boat and carried posters that read “mayor missing.”

The rising Gomti has changed parts of the city.
Boats now operate inside the submerged Gomti Riverfront.
Roads, parks, and public spaces remain underwater.
At Ekana Stadium, 26 pumping sets work to drain accumulated water.

Floods have also affected religious sites.
At Lete Hanuman Temple in Chowk, the idol was submerged and devotees offered prayers from outside.
Several other religious places reported flooding as well.

Small businesses count losses too.
Nidhi, who runs a food stall in Gomtinagar, said waterlogging submerged seating and damaged equipment.

Concerns continue over sanitation, drinking water, and disease risks.
Residents list immediate priorities as drainage, clean water, evacuation support, and timely relief.
Many families remain unsure when they can return home or whether their houses will be habitable.

Meanwhile, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation distributed 1,900 food packets and drinking water bottles in waterlogged areas.
It plans to deploy three drones from Saturday for anti-larval spraying.
Municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar inspected Faizullaganj, Gulmi Kheda, and other localities and reviewed relief work.
The civic body reported a fall in water levels and continued relief, sanitation, and health measures.

Teams used boats to deliver cooked food and dry ration in several villages, including Hayat Nagar, Barawan Kala, and Gulmi Kheda.
Around 70 employees at Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Bhasha University handled relief supplies.
The corporation also conducted drone-based anti-larval spraying in Lohramau and Daudnagar.

Health department teams surveyed 220 houses in flood-hit areas.
They distributed 288 health kits along with medicines, chlorine tablets, and ORS packets.
Chief medical officer NB Singh inspected Jehta, Daudnagar, and Faizullaganj and reviewed services.
A medical camp operated in Daudnagar, while ambulance and medical teams remained deployed.

Karnataka Releases Rs 1,250 Crore as First Drought Relief for Farmers

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara has released Rs 1,250 crore in relief for drought-hit farmers, ANI reported on Friday. The first direct transfer is Rs 2,500 per farmer. The move follows his visit to Gunnal village in Yelburga taluk and a review meeting at the Koppal Deputy Commissioner’s office.

The state has faced long dry spells, a delayed monsoon, and uneven rain. El Niño also disrupted the Southwest Monsoon. Karnataka is among the worst-affected states, along with Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

At the Koppal meeting, Parameshwara reviewed rainfall shortages, crop damage, drinking water, fodder stocks, crop insurance, farm loans, jobs, and health services. Janata Dal (Secular) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy criticised the aid. He said Rs 2,500 per farmer would not solve the deeper crisis, and he also objected to the delay in declaring drought and to the size of the allocation.

Koppal recorded a 45 percent rainfall deficit in the monsoon season. Kanakagiri saw a 44 percent shortfall, Karatagi 60 percent, and Gangavathi 71 percent. Dry spells of three to six weeks between June and September then disrupted sowing and crop growth.

Field checks in 37 villages found more than 50 percent crop damage in 99 percent of sample plots, ANI reported. As a result, all seven taluks in the district are now officially drought-affected. Koppal had planned sowing on 349,892 hectares and completed about 90 percent, or 314,055 hectares. Deficient rain later damaged maize, tur, pearl millet, onion, and other crops across 302,664 hectares.

After visits to Vijayapura and Ballari, Parameshwara told ANI that 98 percent of crops in Vijayapura district had been destroyed. Northern districts, including Ballari, Vijayanagara, Koppal, Raichur, and Vijayapura, were hit harder than the Mysuru region.

The drought is also pushing rural families to leave. In Lambani Tanda, residents were close to migrating for work, ANI reported. The state has told local officials to expand job allocation under MGNREGA so people can stay.

Groundwater has fallen sharply in several areas. Some regions reported no water even at 500 feet. Parameshwara said drilling to 1,800 feet in his home constituency still failed to yield water. Maize farmers in north Karnataka also faced low market prices along with weaker yields, so the state has asked the Centre to step in.

The immediate plan focuses on drinking water, direct farmer aid, and wage work. Under National Disaster Response Fund norms, eligible farmers can receive Rs 8,500 in total from the Centre and the state. Central funds are still pending. Therefore, the state paid Rs 2,500 per farmer from its own treasury as the first installment. About 50 lakh farmers are eligible, and Rs 1,250 crore has already gone out.

Other steps include paying farmers’ share of the crop insurance premium, a 60-month loan repayment pause, and talks with banks on interest. Fuel and electricity subsidies, plus state guarantee schemes, add indirect support.

“If current assistance proves insufficient, further measures will be taken. Under no circumstances will we abandon our farmers,” Parameshwara said. He added that the state is ready to raise market borrowings if needed.

Karnataka has put initial crop damage at Rs 46,000 crore across 177 taluks. It has asked for Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 12,000 crore under NDRF rules after three central teams visited. An all-party delegation to New Delhi was proposed, but BJP and JD(S) leaders declined to join. Parameshwara said the final loss figure could rise. If it reaches Rs 60,000 crore, the state will seek up to Rs 20,000 crore in central relief, ANI reported.

Forecasters Warn El Niño Is Entering Record Territory

Weather agencies and researchers are warning that the current El Niño is strengthening beyond the range of recent events. The United Nations weather body has said this episode could rank among the strongest since at least 1950. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) also said the pattern will add to the effects of human-driven climate change. As the Pacific releases stored heat, large parts of the planet are expected to run warmer than usual.

Specialists tracking ocean data say the event is still near peak strength heading into winter, with unusual warmth spread across most of the globe. One widely shared reading puts the Niño 3.4 region, a key Pacific monitoring zone, at about 3.4 degrees Celsius above normal. That level is higher than any previous El Niño in the modern record, according to researchers citing those measurements. Some forecasters have described the episode as an extreme, or “super,” El Niño. They also agree with the WMO view that the pattern is likely to last through February 2027.

In its outlook, the WMO said there is a very high chance of above-average sea surface temperatures over large areas in the final months of 2026. In the central and eastern tropical Pacific, the core of the El Niño region, temperatures from October to December are forecast to reach about 3.7 degrees Celsius (6.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal. If that holds, it would be a record for the season.

El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, a natural cycle that shifts weather worldwide. It usually raises global temperatures and rearranges rainfall, bringing drought to some regions and heavy rain to others. Episodes typically return every two to seven years.

The human impact could be severe. Researchers at the University of Chicago’s Climate Impact Lab estimated last month that this year’s strong El Niño could be linked to as many as 451,000 excess deaths worldwide between June and February 2027. Those figures are projections, not confirmed counts, and they depend on how heat, storms, and crop losses unfold.

Disclaimer: This article is a general summary of public forecasts and research estimates. Temperature anomalies and death projections are as reported by agencies and studies, and they may be revised. Individual commentator names have been omitted. This is not an official warning for any specific location.

Experts Call Lucknow Waterlogging a Man-Made Crisis After Heavy Rain

Heavy showers recently stalled several parts of Lucknow. Environmentalists now warn that the city’s severe waterlogging is a man-made crisis. They link the repeated flooding to a choked Gomti riverbed, toxic road runoff, and real estate growth over old floodplains and natural drains.

Biswajeet Thakur, a scientist at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, said rapid and unchecked urban sprawl has weakened the city’s natural drainage. He pointed to aggressive growth toward the south-east along Sultanpur Road. That expansion, he said, has left few vacant plots or permeable green spaces to absorb rain.

Thakur also described a second problem. Heavy road dust mixes with vehicle emissions, metals, oil, and grease. During heavy rain, that mix becomes a thick, toxic slurry. The polluted runoff then clogs drains, worsens waterlogging, and raises environmental toxicity.

He said the Gomti riverbed has also narrowed. A bathymetry survey by the department of remote sensing found silt buildup of up to 50 cm. As a result, the river can take in less excess runoff. Thakur called for restoring original water bodies where possible, digging the river catchment down to sand levels, and increasing soil porosity and permeability.

Venkatesh Dutta, an environmental scientist at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, made a related point. He said urban flooding is driven by narrowed natural channels and the loss of floodplains. When heavy rain continues, the swollen river pushes city drains into low-lying residential areas. He added that nearly 30 bridges across the Gomti obstruct smooth flow. Old paths of the Kukrail, near Marine Drive and Ambedkar Park, have also been blocked by commercial and residential projects. Therefore, low-lying zones flood more easily.

Ajay Arya, head of geology at Lucknow University, said planners need a scientific shift. He called for an interdisciplinary advisory committee of geologists and environmentalists to review urban expansion. Authorities, he said, should use high-resolution satellite data to track land use, protect remaining natural depressions, and require permeable interlocking pavements. He also urged a minimum 15 percent green cover on urban plots and pre-monsoon desilting to keep drainage paths open.

IMD Warns of Thunderstorms, Lightning and Gusty Winds Across India on Wednesday

The India Meteorological Department has issued a widespread weather alert for Wednesday. It has warned of thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds across a large part of the country. The unsettled spell is expected to affect the northern hills, the national capital region, and parts of the east, centre and southern peninsula.

Residents in Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh should prepare for active weather. The forecast says these conditions may continue in the region through Sunday. The pattern is linked to a larger weather system that is affecting several zones. Authorities have therefore advised caution as rainfall and atmospheric disturbance persist.

In north India, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and nearby areas are likely to see thunderstorms and gusty winds. Rain is expected to continue across the Himalayan states through the end of the week. Uttar Pradesh is also under watch for thunderstorms and lightning, with rain likely in several parts of the state.

The east and centre face similar conditions. Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal are forecast to see thunderstorms and gusty winds. Widespread rain is expected in sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim from Wednesday through Friday. In central India, Chhattisgarh, east Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha are also likely to see lightning and thunderstorms, along with local rain.

Southern India is bracing for thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds, especially over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Mahe and Lakshadweep. Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and south interior Karnataka are among the areas expected to receive more rain in the coming days.

In the northeast, the IMD has placed Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura under a rain watch. Some of these areas may also see lightning and thunderstorms.

West India is not fully clear of the system. Isolated to scattered rain, with possible thunderstorms, is forecast for Konkan, Goa and central Maharashtra. The IMD says weather will stay active across most of these regions, and rain plus instability is likely to shape daily conditions through the rest of the week.

Dry Weather Covers Most of Maharashtra as Heat Lingers in Konkan

Maharashtra is seeing a break in monsoon activity. Dry weather is likely across most regions on October 5, 2026. At the same time, some districts may stay hot and humid.

In Konkan, hot and humid conditions are likely at some places in Palghar, Mumbai, Thane, Ratnagiri, and Raigad. The weather office has issued a yellow alert for hot and humid weather in these districts. Sindhudurg, however, is likely to stay dry.

Western Maharashtra is also set for dry weather. The forecast covers Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Nashik, Nashik Ghatmatha, and Ahilyanagar. It also covers Pune, Pune Ghatmatha, Kolhapur, Kolhapur Ghatmatha, Satara, Satara Ghatmatha, Sangli, and Solapur.

Marathwada is likely to remain dry as well. The districts include Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Parbhani, Beed, Hingoli, Nanded, and Latur.

In Vidarbha, no alert is in place. The districts without an alert are Akola, Amravati, Bhandara, Buldhana, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Wardha, Washim, and Yavatmal.

Overall, the state forecast points to a drier day. Heat and humidity stay limited mainly to parts of Konkan.

Delhi Air Quality Falls to an 83-Day Low

Delhi’s air quality weakened on Sunday. The AQI reached 187, the highest in 83 days, and sat in the moderate category. The maximum temperature was 36.4 degrees Celsius, which is 2.2 degrees above normal. The minimum stood at 24.1 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees above normal.

The city last recorded a higher AQI on July 13, at 246. According to the Sameer app, 16 stations fell in the poor category. Mundka logged the highest reading at 273, followed by Narela at 257. Twenty-six stations stayed in the moderate range. Burari was the only station in the satisfactory category.

The CPCB scale treats 0–50 as good, 51–100 as satisfactory, 101–200 as moderate, and 201–300 as poor. Readings from 301–400 are very poor, and 401–500 are severe.

Ayanagar recorded the highest maximum temperature at 37 degrees Celsius. Safdarjung followed at 36.4, Lodi Road at 36.3, Ridge at 35.8, and Palam at 34.6. Minimum readings were 24.1 at Safdarjung, 23.2 at Lodi Road, 22.8 at Ayanagar, 22.4 at Palam, and 21 at Ridge.

A Record El Niño Is Rewriting Pacific Weather, and the Effects Reach Far Beyond It

The Pacific Ocean is warming unusually quickly, and this year’s El Niño has already passed previous records. Forecasters expect it to strengthen further before its usual peak around December. El Niño is the warm phase of a natural climate swing. It can bring drought to some regions and raise the risk of heavy rain and flooding in others. The reason sits in the Pacific’s warm water and the air above it.

In a typical year, trade winds blow from east to west across the tropical Pacific. They push warm surface water toward Indonesia and nearby seas. As that water moves west, colder water rises from below in the east. Scientists call that upwelling. Therefore, the western Pacific is usually much warmer than the eastern Pacific.

Warmer water evaporates more. The western Pacific feeds moisture into the air, and the ocean warms that air so it rises. Rising air lowers the pressure around it, then expands and cools. Water vapour condenses into clouds and rain, and releases heat into the atmosphere. High above the Pacific, some of that air spreads east and sinks over the cooler eastern Pacific. Near the surface, air flows back west as the trade winds. That loop is the Walker circulation.

This pattern helps explain heavy rain around Indonesia and a much drier eastern tropical Pacific and coastal Peru. Some parts of Indonesia can receive more rain in a month than Lima receives in a year. The pattern also reinforces itself. Warm water in the west encourages rising air, cooler water in the east favours sinking air, and the trade winds keep the contrast in place. Scientists call that mutual reinforcement the Bjerknes feedback.

El Niño breaks that script. The trade winds weaken, so less warm water is pushed west. More warm water stays in the central and eastern Pacific, and the western Pacific can turn relatively cooler. The zone of strongest evaporation, rising air, cloud, and rain then shifts east. Parts of the eastern Pacific, including coastal Peru, can turn much wetter. Meanwhile, sinking air over the western Pacific makes clouds harder to form. Indonesia and nearby areas can turn much drier, which can also raise the risk of forest and peatland fires. The smaller east-west temperature gap weakens the trade winds further, so the Walker circulation itself weakens and shifts east.

Those changes travel through teleconnections. Heat released when vapour condenses can warm the middle and upper tropical atmosphere far beyond the Pacific. Over the Sahel, on the southern fringe of the Sahara, that can make it harder for moist surface air to keep rising, which suppresses rain and can dry the land further. Scientists call this the tropospheric temperature mechanism. A second path is atmospheric ripples that change winds and storm tracks. Britain can see a higher chance of wetter, stormier weather in autumn and early winter, and a higher chance of colder spells later in winter. Those links are less certain than many tropical effects, because other drivers also shape UK weather. A third path runs through other oceans, including the Indian Ocean dipole, which influences rain over East Africa and parts of India.

El Niño shifts the odds. It does not decide every day’s weather. Thailand often leans drier during El Niño, yet parts of the country, including Bangkok, saw heavy rain and flooding this September. India has shown a similar contrast: the monsoon has been unusually dry overall this year, while some regions still saw intense rain and flooding. Local systems can still produce extremes in the other direction.

Recent images have already tied the event to local damage. High tides and large waves linked to El Niño were associated with a bluff failure in Encinitas, California, on September 18. Along Peru’s coast, environmental groups have warned that warmer Pacific water and shifting marine ecosystems are reducing fish available to seabirds.

Disclaimer: This article rewrites publicly reported climate explanations for general information only. It is not an official forecast. Local weather can differ from the regional tendency. Readers should check the latest meteorological bulletin before they act.

Low Soil Moisture and a Stronger El Niño Cloud India’s Rabi Season

Farmers are preparing for the winter cropping season, but India is entering a period of uncertainty. Depleted soil moisture and a strengthening El Niño raise the risk of delayed sowing, lower acreage, and weaker yields. The same conditions also pressure water supplies and food output.

The southwest monsoon ended with rainfall 12.6 percent below normal, the fourth-lowest since 2001. East and northeast India recorded a 25 percent deficit. South peninsular India was 24 percent below normal. As a result, several farming regions have limited moisture as the winter season approaches.

Deepak Pareek, founder of HnyB Tech-Incubations, said the 2026 monsoon closed about 13 percent below the long-period average and 21 percent below last year. He said large tracts now have inadequate soil moisture. Combined with a dry October under a strengthening El Niño, that pattern spells serious trouble for rabi sowing and crop prospects.

El Niño is the periodic warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific, and it can disrupt global weather. Several global models, and the India Meteorological Department in its latest forecast, indicate the phenomenon is strengthening. It is expected to become very strong toward November, when most of India sows rabi crops.

Rabi crops are planted after the southwest monsoon recedes, so stored monsoon moisture is crucial. A Crisil Economics assessment said soil moisture on August 20 was below the decadal average in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, northern Jharkhand, Bihar, Punjab, western Gujarat, and parts of the northeast. IMD district data showed 32 percent of districts deficient in September and another 16 percent largely deficient.

Heat is adding to the stress. India’s average maximum temperature in September was 32.05°C, the highest for the month since 1901. The mean temperature of 27.72°C was the fifth-highest. The weather bureau also expects above-normal maximum and minimum temperatures across most of the country in October. Pareek said residual moisture is under strain in key rainfed belts of central, southern, and eastern and northeastern India. Rainfed farmers have limited scope to offset a dry spell with irrigation.

The rabi season accounts for roughly half of India’s foodgrain production. Wheat is about 70 percent of rabi output, while rice, coarse cereals, and pulses contribute roughly 10 percent each, according to Crisil. More than 60 percent of India’s pulses, largely gram, come from rabi, and nearly 70 percent of jowar is grown in the season. Wheat has a buffer: more than 95 percent of its acreage is irrigated, compared with about 52 percent for gram and 25 percent for jowar. Gram in Rajasthan and jowar in Karnataka and Maharashtra are therefore more exposed.

The impact will not be uniform. Irrigated farmers may keep sowing with groundwater and canals. Rainfed farmers may delay planting, cut acreage, or shift crops, Crisil noted.

Reservoirs, the backup for rabi sowing, are already under pressure. As of October 1, storage in 178 major reservoirs was 1 percent below the long-period average and more than 20 percent lower than a year earlier. Former agriculture secretary Devesh Choudhary said levels have held up partly because last year’s surplus rain supported storage. He said that cushion is weaker in several states, especially in the south, where rabi crops will suffer.

The southern region holds 27.46 billion cubic metres, or 49.2 percent of live capacity, against 87.8 percent a year ago. Northern storage is at 60.5 percent, compared with 91 percent last year. Western reservoirs are at 84 percent against 97.1 percent. Central storage stands at 88 percent, down from 92.7 percent. Eastern storage is at 82.7 percent, compared with 79 percent last year. Levels are especially low in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Karnataka.

Maharashtra is the country’s largest producer of gram and jowar. Rajasthan is a major producer of both gram and mustard. Karnataka is the second-largest jowar producer, and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana grow maize and pulses in rabi. With less irrigation water, farmers in these states may delay or reduce sowing. Crops that are planted are likely to face higher irrigation costs and lower productivity, Choudhary said. He added that a good crop will also depend on western disturbances bringing winter rain and lower temperatures in the north.

Drought conditions, from abnormally dry to more severe categories, covered 47.4 percent of the country’s area. States with the largest share under any drought category included Goa at 100 percent, Arunachal Pradesh at 87.8 percent, Assam at 84.9 percent, Mizoram at 83.8 percent, Maharashtra at 82.4 percent, and Sikkim at 81.8 percent. Regionally, drought covered about 78 percent of the West, 74 percent of the Northeast, 52 percent of the South, 42 percent of the Northwest, 40 percent of the North, 32 percent of the East, and 29 percent of Central India.

The IMD expects October rainfall below 85 percent of the long-period average for India as a whole, and below-normal rain over most of the country from October to December. A prolonged dry spell could make it harder for rainfed farmers to establish crops. Higher temperatures would cut soil moisture further, and weak winter rain could later hurt growth and productivity.

The government is already wary. At a two-day rabi conference in Delhi this week, agriculture secretary Atish Chandra said the coming season is likely to be challenging for rainfed areas because of El Niño, and that foodgrain production could be affected. Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh need crop plans based on water and soil moisture, with separate strategies for rainfed and irrigated areas. He also said delayed sowing could affect germination and productivity, so advance preparation is essential.

The government has asked states and districts to assess water and soil moisture first, then choose crops. In water-stressed areas, it has called for less water-intensive crops such as pulses and oilseeds rather than wheat, which could run short of irrigation later. Chouhan said the Centre is also preparing state-specific rabi plans, including drought-resistant strategies for Maharashtra and Karnataka. States with better water availability, such as Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, may be asked to pursue more intensive production.

Disclaimer: This article only summarises publicly reported weather and agriculture assessments. It is not an official forecast or farming advice. Conditions can change by district. Readers should check the latest IMD bulletin and state agriculture guidance before they act.

Monsoon Withdrawal Nears as Maharashtra Stays Dry and Delhi Opens October with Worse Air

Maharashtra has faced a dry spell for several days. The state government has declared a drought and called the situation serious. Crops have wilted from a lack of water, and drinking-water supplies are short. El Niño effects are also showing up in other parts of the country. Even so, the monsoon’s return has begun.

The India Meteorological Department says atmospheric conditions now favour that return. Isolated places in Konkan and western Maharashtra may see rain with lightning. Meanwhile, temperatures are expected to rise in other parts of the state. A low-pressure area remains active over northern Myanmar and eastern Bangladesh.

Mumbai is likely to see partly cloudy skies in the city and suburbs on Friday. From 8 am on October 1 to 8 am on October 2, recorded rainfall was 0.00 mm in the city, the eastern suburbs, and the western suburbs. A high tide of 3.57 metres is expected at 3:05 pm on Friday, and another of 3.81 metres at 4:25 am on October 3. A low tide of 0.92 metres is forecast at 9:08 pm on Friday, with another of 2.22 metres at 10:28 am on October 3.

Delhi recorded its most polluted start to October in four years on Thursday. The city’s air quality slipped into the moderate category, and the AQI settled at 166. The last higher October 1 reading was in 2022, when the index stood at 186, also in the moderate range, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Of 44 monitoring stations, 37 were moderate, five were poor, and two were satisfactory, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.

In Himachal Pradesh, conditions favour withdrawal of the southwest monsoon in the next two to three days, the Shimla Met office said on Thursday. The monsoon reached the state on June 30 this year. From July 1 to September 29, the state received 652.6 mm of rain against a normal of 733.4 mm, an 11 percent deficit. Weather stayed mainly dry in the 24 hours until 4 pm on Thursday. The Met office has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds in isolated parts on October 6 and 7, and a wet spell from October 5 to 7. Authorities also evacuated residents of five houses at Surugaon village in Shimla district on Thursday after recent landslides raised the risk.

Disclaimer: This article only summarises publicly reported weather updates. It is not an official forecast and should not guide travel, farming, or safety decisions. Readers should check the latest IMD bulletin and local alerts before they act.

India’s Monsoon Ends 12.5% Below Normal, Raising Inflation and Rural Risks

India’s Southwest monsoon season has ended with rainfall 12.5% below normal. The shortfall is wider than the India Meteorological Department’s earlier outlook of a 10% deficit. The dry spell is already weighing on farm output. It has also lowered key reservoirs and raised risks for rural spending in the coming quarters. The open question is how far this feeds into inflation.

Nomura says overall inflation and mid-single-digit price rises still look manageable. The brokerage does not see a clear hit to volumes yet. It warns that further product price increases, plus weaker farm yields, could add pressure on demand.

Large government foodgrain stocks may limit food inflation, Nomura says. Reservoirs in the south and north remain well below normal, which still worries officials about water for the coming Rabi sowing season.

Water in India’s 178 primary reservoirs stood 11.5% below the 10-year average. Live storage was 70.8% of capacity. Total Kharif sowing was down 1.5% year on year by mid-September. That was a recovery from a 23% drop in late June. Rice area fell 3.8%. Maize area fell 2.6%. Pulse area rose 1.5% after better late rain in central belts.

Rural demand is the larger concern. Nomura says rural consumption growth has already slowed and is moving closer to urban rates as weaker yields cut farm incomes. Analysts Mihir P. Shah and Riya Patni said they remain watchful because a below-normal monsoon, El Niño, and company price rises linked to the West Asia conflict can hit together.

Nomura expects strong El Niño conditions to last through February. A warmer winter could follow. That would threaten seasonal goods such as skin creams, lotions, and health supplements.

Nearly 42% of the country’s sub-divisions recorded rainfall deficits. About 75% of Maharashtra and Karnataka faced severe drought conditions. Eastern and North-Eastern India logged the largest shortfall, at 25%. The South Peninsular region was 24% short. Central India limited its deficit to 2%, which cushioned cotton, oilseeds, and pulses. Northwest India recorded a 6% deficit, with only moderate disruption to rice and sugarcane.

Food buffers may hold prices for now. Reservoir stress and a weak Rabi setup could still lift inflation later if yields fall further. These points reflect brokerage and weather assessments. They are not investment advice.