Heavy rain triggers deadly flooding in northeastern India, Nepal and Bangladesh

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather meteorologist

By Kristina Pydynowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

August 15,2017, 11:24:14AM,EDT

 

 Severe flooding has killed at least 245 people since last week across northeastern India, Nepal and Bangladesh, according to the Associated Press. More rain will be on the way into late week.

Frequent downpours will continue to target communities from northeastern Uttar Pradesh to Assam, Nagaland and Manipur into midweek. Neighboring parts of Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh will also be inundated.
At least 110 people have been killed in Nepal as a result of flooding, according to police spokesman Pushkar Karki.
The flooding prompted the closure of an airport in the city of Biratnagar as more than 500 mm (2 feet) of water covered the runway.

Nepalese men carry children on their shoulders as they wade through flood waters in village Ramgadhwa in Birgunj, Nepal, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Manish Paudel)

Tourists were stranded near Chitwan National Park in southern Nepal, forcing elephants to be used for water rescues.
The hardest-hit areas of Nepal and northeastern India could have 250 mm (10 inches) or more within a 24-hour period.
The flooding has also decimated crops across Nepal, prompting fears of food shortages to follow the deadly flooding.
An official in Nepal said torrential rain, landslides and flooding over the past three days has inundated 60,000 homes and damaged roads and bridges across the Himalayan country.
Flooding has also been devastating across northeastern India, including Assam, where at least 18 people lost their lives in the flooding since late last week.

Villagers wade through a flooded area in Murkata village east of Gauhati, India, Monday, Aug. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

The floodwaters have damaged bridges, downed power lines and washed away thousands of homes. Officials said at least 2.5 million people have been affected, including some 200,000 now staying in more than 250 relief camps, according to the Associated Press.
Residents should prepare for additional evacuations due to rapidly rising water and rivers overflowing their banks. Raging waterways or mudslides may also damage roads and bridges.
The government has warned of unprecedented river flooding along portions of the River Brahmaputra and its tributaries through Aug. 20.
Around 90 percent of the Kaziranga National Park in Assam has been flooded. This park is home to the world’s largest one-horned rhinoceros population.
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Farther west, a massive landslide claimed the lives of 46 people in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday.
Elsewhere across India, any flash flooding will be on a more localized level this week, as showers and thunderstorms will be more scattered in nature.
In the National Capital Region and most of Rajasthan, dry air is expected to suppress shower and thunderstorm development this week. Temperatures will then be allowed to soar to around 35 C (95 F) through midweek in New Delhi, with the potential to reach 38 C (100 F) by Thursday and Friday.
In Bangladesh, at least 27 people died over the weekend, while 600,000 have been impacted by the heavy downpours and swollen rivers.
The potential exists for some communities to receive 75-125 mm (3-5 inches) of torrential rainfall again on Wednesday. Each round of downpours will further increase the risk for flooding and mudslides, especially where the ground is already saturated.

A little bit of relief is possible for late in the week.
"As the storm shifts westward late on Thursday and Friday, rain across the hardest-hit areas will become more scattered in nature," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Douty.
While the frequency may lessen later this week, downpours will continue to target the region and may trigger new flooding or worsen existing problems.
The low moving westward will bring waves of drenching downpours for parts of central India on Friday and eventually Gujarat. These regions will need to be on the lookout for flash flooding from these rains.
"Looking beyond this week, there are signs that point to more normal monsoon rain across northwestern and central India in late August and early September," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls.
This could bring some relief from the persistent rain across northeastern India and neighboring countries.