Arunachal government deploys helicopter to airlift essential supplies to areas cut off by flood

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday (July 4) issued a ‘red’ warning of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in five Odisha districts as the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a well-marked system, officials said.

The red warning has been issued for the districts of Kandhamal, Boudh, Angul, Sambalpur, and Sonepur.

According to the latest bulletin issued by the IMD, “The well-marked low pressure area over Northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Odisha-West Bengal coasts persists over the same region at 0830 hours IST of today, 4th July, 2026. It is very likely to move west-northwestward across north Odisha and north Chhattisgarh during the next 3 days.” “The districts with red warning are expected to receive extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places,” Meteorology Centre, Bhubaneswar, Director, Manorama Mohanty said, adding that the rainfall activities are likely to continue in Odisha till July 7.

-PTI

Drizzle, mist, cool weather, and cloud-covered hills are attracting tourists to Shimla during the ongoing monsoon season, with the tourism industry reporting steady bookings and no major cancellations so far.

Hotel occupancy in the hill town is hovering between 40 and 50% on weekends, up by more than 10% compared with the corresponding period last year, tourism industry stakeholders said.

Before the monsoon disasters of 2023 and 2025, hotel occupancy during the first two weeks of July used to be around 70%. However, rain-related calamities in those years had created apprehensions among tourists, affecting footfall, a local hotelier said.

- PTI

The Mumbai civic body on Saturday (July 4) declared a holiday for the afternoon session in all schools and colleges across the metropolis after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert of extremely heavy rainfall.

A spokesperson of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that the decision was taken keeping in mind the safety of students amid the forecast of extremely heavy rains.

The BMC also appealed to citizens to step out of their homes only if necessary as heavy rains continue to lash several parts of the city, he said.

- PTI

The Chhattisgarh government has advised farmers to opt for short- and medium-duration crop varieties and adopt water-saving cultivation practices in view of the possible impact of El Niño and delayed monsoon on the 2026 kharif season, officials said on Saturday (July 4).

The agriculture department has prepared a contingency plan under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, anticipating a delayed onset of the monsoon, an early withdrawal and prolonged dry spells during the cropping season, a government official said.

He said the plan aims to protect crops, sustain agricultural production and reduce cultivation costs even in the event of below-normal rainfall.

- PTI

A 35-year-old woman died as she came in contact with a live wire after she fell near a power transformer amid heavy rains in Maharashtra’s Thane district, police said on Saturday (July 4).

The incident occurred on the night of July 1 at Kacheri village in Dombivili, where the victim, Shashi Rahul Chakra, a local shop owner, had gone out to fetch goods for her establishment, an official said.

“While returning home, the victim tripped and fell near an electricity transformer located close to a public toilet,” the official said.

- PTI

Strong winds accompanied by rains damaged banners and hoardings at the Pachpadra refinery site in Rajasthan’s Balotra area just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to inaugurate the project.

According to the weather department, the storm hit the Pachpadra area around 7 p.m. on Friday (June 4), tearing banners and uprooting several hoardings installed at the venue. Workers were engaged since Saturday (June 3) morning to repair the damage ahead of the inauguration.

The refinery project has been built at an estimated cost of around ₹79,450 crore and is connected to Mundra port in Gujarat through a 487-km-long pipeline.

- PTI

National Highway-5 (NH-5), which was blocked early Saturday (July 4) morning following a debris flow in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district, has been reopened for all vehicular traffic, officials said.

According to the district administration, the debris flow occurred at around 6:15 a.m. after the onset of monsoon activity in the region, leading to a temporary disruption of traffic on the highway. Authorities said prompt action by the administration and deployment of heavy machinery helped restore connectivity within a short period.

- ANI

The India Meteorological Department has maintained a Red Alert for Mumbai and Thane for July 4, 5, and 6, with the administration declaring a holiday for schools and colleges in Thane district and the Kalyan-Dombivli municipal area for today (July 4, 2026). Emergency helplines have been activated across the region.

Heavy rain continues in Mumbai, Thane; red alert remains for July 4-6

Heavy rainfall prompts a Red Alert in Mumbai and Thane, with schools closed and emergency services activated from July 4-6.