Heavy rainfall likely over various parts of country including Assam: IMD

New Delhi, Sep 1: Some parts of Central eastern, eastern, and northeastern regions of the country are likely to receive heavy downpour on Tuesday, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

"Fairly widespread rainfall activity with heavy falls and thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places very likely over West Bengal and Sikkim, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura on today, September 1, 2020," the IMD tweeted. The IMD has also warned of moderate thunderstorms with lightening over Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, west Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and coastal Andhra Pradesh during next 12 hours. Several states in the country have been affected by floods following heavy rainfall.

As many as 17 people have died and over 10,000 houses damaged in flood-related incidents in Odisha. While around 2,000 people from low-lying areas of Sambalpur city have been shifted to the flood relief centres, after water entered many areas causing the flood-like situation, following the discharge of huge volume of water from Hirakud Dam, said government officials.

Meanwhile, in West Bengal, rainwater entered residential areas in Siliguri on Tuesday, following heavy rainfall in the region.

The roads were flooded with knee-deep water causing problems for commuters who were trying to reach their respective workplaces in the morning.