Weather, rain highlights: Mumbai manhole death kicks up storm, 4 BMC officials suspended

WEather, rain down highlights: The Brihanmumbai Municipal corp (BMC) suspended foursome civic officials and formed a high-ranking poke into committee after a 60-year-old man fell to death in an open manhole on Thursday.The incident occurred in the Chandivali area in the western suburbs, officials said. It is the second rain-related death reported in the city this week.Mayor Ritu Tawde, who visited the spot, has announced an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh for the family of the deceased, the BMC said in a release, adding that the contractor has been blacklisted.According to BMC officials, three contractual workers had removed the manhole cover to install a protective grill on a manhole on a sewer line along Khariani Road when the man, who was allegedly talking on his mobile phone, accidentally fell into the opening.Rain alert in Uttarakhand, HimachalAs moderate to heavy rainfall lashed most parts of Uttarakhand, the weather office has issued an alert for several districts, including Dehradun.Due to incessant rainfall, and falling debris and stones from hillsides, traffic movement has been affected on the Badrinath National Highway in Chamoli district and the Kedarnath Yatra route in Rudraprayag district, PTI reported.Officials said for safety of pilgrims, the movement of vehicles and pedestrians on the Sonprayag-Munkatiya road in Rudraprayag has been temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure.The meteorological centre has issued an "orange alert" for Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, and Bageshwar districts, cautioning of heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places.A man died in Mumbai on Thursday after falling into a manhole amid heavy monsoon showers in the city. The incident took place when the victim was talking on phone and accidentally stepped on the manhole as the maintenance staff had removed the lid for repair work. The search operation is on as the rescuers could only spot his umbrella and slippers. Due to the strong flow of water, it could not be determined in which direction the man was carried away, officials told HT.After days of anticipation, the southwest monsoon finally arrived in Delhi on Thursday, bringing much-needed relief from the hot and humid weather.Heavy rainfall caused disruptions across several parts of India, killing seven people in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh as landslides, flooded roads and disrupted transport brought normal life to standstill in several regions.While Arunachal Pradesh grappled with the aftermath of flash floods, rains battered several parts of Maharashtra while the IMD warned of heavy rain over south Bengal in the coming days. Two girls in Navi Mumbai suffered electric shock from an exposed live wire on a waterlogged road near the LP Bridge in Nerul.Delhi weather forecast | Top pointsRain in Delhi till July 7: Between July 3 and July 7, Delhi is likely to experience thunderstorms accompanied by rain every day. During this period, the minimum temperature is expected to remain between 23 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is likely to hover between 33 degrees Celsius and 35 degrees Celsius.Monsoon around July 3 or 4: Mahesh Palawat, Vice President, Skymet Weather, told news agency PTI that the monsoon is likely to reach Delhi and adjoining areas around July 3 or 4.Latest onset in 5 years: The arrival will mark the latest monsoon onset over the national capital in five years, the IMD said.Late monsoon in 2021: According to the IMD, the southwest monsoon reached Delhi on June 25 in 2020, a day before it covered the entire country on June 26. In 2021, the monsoon arrived much later, reaching Delhi on July 13, the same day it covered the entire country.Conditions favourable: The Southwest Monsoon has reportedly advanced across several parts of northern and western India. Conditions are now becoming favourable for the monsoon's advancement into Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi over the next 24 hours, as per the weather department.Weather forecast for Thursday: The IMD has forecast a generally cloudy sky with moderate rain for Thursday, July 2. The maximum temperature is likely to be around 33 degrees Celsius, while the minimum is expected to hover around 24 degrees Celsius.