Torrential rain produces severe flooding in India, strands over 200,000 in Bangladesh

INDIA/BANGLADESH (UPI) — As June winds down, the Southwest monsoon is in full force across India, and rainfall totals are climbing to staggering levels as rising floodwaters leave thousands stranded.

During a five-day stretch from June 23-28, Cherrapunji, located in a region of India to the northeast of Bangladesh, reported 77.51 inches. Around 22.52 inches of that total fell in the last 24 hours of that stretch, stated AccuWeather senior meteorologist Jim Andrews.

As of Friday, the leading edge of the monsoon advanced through the country and moved into Pakistan.

Widespread rainfall totals of 8 or more inches have been measured along the western coast of India, across the center of the country and into northeastern regions since the monsoon arrived throughout the month, according to the India Meteorological Department.

In addition to impressive rainfall totals, runoff from northern India has caused multiple rivers across Bangladesh to rise over 30 inches above dangerous levels on Monday, Bangladesh Water Development Board Northern division chief engineer Jotiy Prasad Gosh said.

Gosh added that the rise in water levels flooded 19 upazilas, or regions, leaving 200,000 people stranded and thousands of hectares of farmland submerged under floodwaters.

Many in the region are still waiting for relief as officials process the requests for help from the upazilas, reported New Age Bangladesh.

The wet season will remain in full swing across the region as occasional showers and thunderstorms persist in much of India and Bangladesh each day through midweek. However, parts of extreme northwestern India will remain largely dry, including New Delhi, which had the onset of the monsoon last week.

The areas most at risk for flooding through the middle of the week will be areas that have already been hit hard by monsoon rain this month.

Heavy thunderstorms are expected to unfold in parts of northeastern India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan each day this week, with some locations potentially receiving 12 inches of rain through Friday.

Meanwhile, drenching downpours will remain across southwestern India from around Mumbai to western Karnataka in the coming days.

The heaviest rain in southwestern India will fall from near the coast into the Western Ghats.

Daily rainfall totals of 2 inches to 4 inches are expected for areas that receive the heaviest rain into the end of the week. An AccuWeather Local StormMax of 8 inches will be possible, especially in the rugged terrain.

By the end of the week and into the weekend, a monsoon low can develop in northeastern India and lead to locally heavy rainfall in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This low may eventually bring the return of rain to National Capitol Region later in the weekend and early next week.

Reporting by Maura Kelly, AccuWeather

United Press International

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