At least 18 people have died and thousands have been forced to leave their homes after heavy rain triggered flooding across several parts of India over the past 48 hours.
Uttar Pradesh has reported the highest number of deaths, while Odisha has seen more than 40,000 people evacuated from flood-hit areas. Heavy rain has also caused flooding in parts of Bihar and Chhattisgarh, damaging homes, crops and roads and disrupting normal life.
The downpour comes as monsoon activity intensifies in parts of the country even as the season enters its retreat phase.
Uttar Pradesh sees 17 deaths
At least 17 people have died and five others were injured in Uttar Pradesh after extremely heavy rain lashed several districts over the past two days.
According to the state relief commissioner's office, deaths were reported in Amethi, Bahraich, Banda, Barabanki, Basti, Fatehpur, Hamirpur, Hardoi and Kanpur Nagar, with two deaths in Ayodhya and four in Lakhimpur Kheri.
One person died after a wall collapsed in Bahraich, while another was killed in a thunderstorm in Basti.
The state received an average 52.5 mm of rain in the 24 hours up to 8.30 am on Saturday, with some weather stations recording more than 200 mm. Officials said 63 of Uttar Pradesh's 75 districts received above-normal rainfall.
The rain has also damaged standing Kharif crops and left fields waterlogged. Farmers are concerned that the excess water could delay preparations for the upcoming Rabi season.
Odisha evacuates over 40,000 people
Heavy rain has affected more than 73,000 people across 10 districts of Odisha, prompting authorities to move over 40,000 people to safer locations.
Southern districts, including Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Ganjam and Gajapati, have been among the worst affected.
Officials said 80 blocks, 325 gram panchayats, 1,071 villages and 49 urban wards have been impacted. At least 721 houses were partially or fully damaged, while nearly 4,480 hectares of farmland were affected.
Flood threat rises in Bihar, Chhattisgarh
In Bihar's West Champaran district, more than 2,000 villagers were moved to safer areas after water from the Gandak river entered homes. The flooding followed heavy rainfall in Nepal and its catchment areas, along with continued water releases from the Valmikinagar barrage.
Authorities have placed districts along vulnerable river belts on high alert amid the possibility of rising water levels in rivers flowing down from Nepal.
In Chhattisgarh, heavy rain has caused flooding and waterlogging, disrupted road links and forced schools to shut in eight districts. A 40-year-old farmer drowned in Kondagaon after falling into a swollen drain.
Schools were closed in Dantewada, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Kanker, Bastar, Gariaband, Dhamtari and Durg, while quarterly examinations in government schools in affected areas were postponed.