Overnight heavy rains that lashed various parts of Kerala continued on Saturday morning, inundating roads, uprooting trees, damaging houses in the process and throwing normal life into disarray in parts of the state.

A tree fell on a temporary shed, destroying it and killing a 29-year-old man sleeping under it in Thrissur's Manaloor, a fire and rescue services official said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), a day ago, had issued a red alert in five districts -- Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod -- and an orange alert in six districts for Saturday.

In view of the red alert, entry to tourist trekking spots and night travel on hilly roads as well as quarrying activities have been prohibited in Wayanad, Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts.

(PTI)

The national capital on Saturday recorded a minimum temperature of 26.4 degrees Celsius, 1.2 notches below the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The IMD has forecast thunderstorms with rain on Saturday and Sunday, with the maximum temperature expected to settle around 36 degrees Celsius.

Relative humidity was recorded at 60 per cent at 8.30 am.

(PTI)

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, has forecast widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds across several parts of Tamil Nadu over the coming days as the southwest monsoon continues to advance over southern India.

According to the weather department, an upper-air cyclonic circulation persists over coastal Karnataka and adjoining regions at an altitude of 3.1 km to 4.5 km above mean sea level.

The southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of the southwest and southeast Arabian Sea, sections of the west-central and east-central Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep, parts of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, as well as large areas of the Bay of Bengal.

Under its influence, light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms is likely at isolated places across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on Saturday.

Heavy rain with thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph is expected at one or two places in the hilly regions of Coimbatore district and in the Nilgiris, Theni and Dindigul districts.

Similar weather conditions are likely in Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Erode, Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Tirupattur, Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruppur, Madurai and Virudhunagar districts, where isolated heavy rainfall and strong winds are forecast.

(IANS)

Favourable weather conditions and timely rainfall have raised hopes of a bumper lavender harvest in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhaderwah valley, providing a major boost to the region's growing "Purple Revolution" under the union government's Aroma Mission.

Farmers in the hilly Raie hamlet of Shiva Panchayat, many of whom have shifted from traditional maize cultivation to lavender farming in recent years, have begun harvesting the aromatic crop and are expecting higher yields this season.

Around 20 farming families in the valley are optimistic about higher returns, as the lavender fields have experienced healthy flowering and vibrant blooms, enhancing both the quality and market value of the crop.

(PTI)

Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Friday announced the establishment of an automatic weather station in the cloudburst-affected Chisoti area of Kishtwar district, a major step to strengthen weather forecasting and disaster preparedness in the region.

Jammu and Kashmir's Chisoti village, the gateway to the revered Machail Mata temple in Kishtwar district, was devastated by a cloudburst on August 14, 2025, in which 65 people, mostly pilgrims, lost their lives.

More than 30 people are still reported missing.

(PTI)

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Friday announced the restructuring of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) with the launch of a regional meteorological centre (RMC) in Jammu, saying the move marks the beginning of a new chapter in the 151-year history of the country's weather forecasting agency.

Singh said that a decision was taken to decentralise the workload of the Delhi regional meteorological centre and improve weather forecasting, early warning dissemination and disaster preparedness across northern India.

"The Meteorological Department has completed 151 years. In this long journey, a new chapter is beginning today with the division of Delhi into three parts by establishing regional meteorological centres at Jammu, Delhi and Lucknow," he said.

The meteorological centre which has been upgraded to a regional centre will cater to the weather service requirements of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, with a special focus on mountain meteorology, snow forecasting and high-altitude weather services.

Singh said the earlier arrangement placed the entire northern region under the Delhi centre, making decentralisation necessary for better maintenance and efficient functioning of meteorological services.

(PTI)