Heavy monsoon rains in India have led to the many deaths over the past month. Floods which are common during monsoon rains which have now spread across large areas of India. At the end of June / early July, more than 50 people died in Gujarat state due to the flooding resulting from heavy rains. Since then the state of Maharashtra has been badly hit and monsoon rains have led to both flooding and landslides. The area often suffers monsoon rains, but this is believed to be of a previously unseen magnitude with rainfall totals at record levels. On Tuesday 26th July, parts of the city of Mumbai (Bombay), the capital of Maharashtra state, experienced up to 94cm of rain, the highest ever one day total in India's history. Landslides caused by heavy saturation of sediments have led to the loss of many lives, the total already stands at 800 and is rising. In Juigaon, South of Mumbai (Bombay) up to 100 are believed to have been killed and in the Northern Mumbai suburb of Sakai Naka, a whole shanty town was destroyed as a hill collapsed on to the shanty huts below. Further loses of life have been caused by spreading panic; the belief that Tsunami was about to occur led a stampede in a Mumbai shanty killing 20.

Article Entry: 29th July 2005

Follow up links:

Gujarat Monsoon Floods Kill many (BBC News)

India Monsoon Deaths Rise to 800 (BBC News

Maharashtra Rains leave many dead (BBC News)

India Monsoon Death Toll Soars (BBC News)

Understanding Monsoons (The Geography behind the Monsoon Rains)

The Asian Monsoon – Understanding the Monsoon (BBC Weather Centre)

The Asian Monsoon – Impacts (BBC Weather Centre) (BBC Weather Centre)

Rains of the Summer in India and Southern Asia (about.geography)

Syllabus Link: Unit 6 - Synoptic Paper (Section B) - Physical Environment and Influence on Human Activity - Weather hazards and their impact on human activity.