Hundreds of residents have been evacuated in the Indian capital Delhi as the water level of the Yamuna river continues to rise.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it had reached a 45-year high, already rising above the "danger mark".

Some near Delhi have seen record rainfall so far this monsoon season, which began in June, officials say.

At least 88 people have died in Himachal Pradesh since rains began late last month, local media reported.

On Wednesday in Delhi, people living in makeshift houses next to the river moved to some of the 2,500 relief camps set up in the city, Reuters reports.

"The water level is continuing to rise and there is a flood-like situation," Mr Kejriwal told reporters, adding that water levels were "likely to rise further".

Seasonal monsoon rains are a lifeline for India but also typically cause deaths and destruction to property every year.

India has experienced increasingly extreme weather in recent years - the unrelenting rains come just weeks after an extreme heat wave gripped most of north India.

Many factors contribute to flooding, but experts say climate change caused by global warming makes extreme rainfall more likely.
Source: BBC

BDST: 0816 HRS, JULY 13, 2023
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