Monsoon Rains & Floods, Blazing Drought Switch Geographic Places In India

[hatrack]

Mumbai/Ahmedabad/Guwahati, Aug 2 (IANS) Blame it on the weather gods or global warming. Gujarat, an otherwise drought-prone state in western India, was battling floods Tuesday, while the northeast, usually battered by heavy rainfalls during this time of the year, was facing drought-like conditions.

Following heavy rains since Saturday that have taken the season's toll of rain-related deaths to 50, Gujarat called in army and paramilitary forces to help civil authorities in their rescue and relief operations. One column of the army and one Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) platoon was deployed in the central Gujarat district of Kheda Tuesday.

"Although water levels are receding and there is no danger from the overflowing rivers in Matar and Sojitra regions in Kheda district, we did not want to take chances as there is forecast of heavy rains," Kheda district administrator R.R. Varsani told IANS.

Incessant heavy rains in parts of central and south Gujarat and Saurashtra had forced authorities to evacuate more than 25,000 people. While rains took a breather in some parts Tuesday, authorities said the flood situation in central and south Gujarat remained worrisome.

EDIT

http://www.indianmuslims.info/node/4203

[XemaSab]

1. Isn't that the early sign of el nino?

n/t

[Dead_Parrot]

2. El Niños are fairly frequent events -

As are La Niñas - This sounds a little more unusual, unexpected and therefore unnerving... Maybe PP can shed some light on it.