India: Heavy monsoon season claims more than 100 lives

Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms have claimed dozens of lives across India, with more rain forecast in several states. Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina is set to make a speech from India later today. Follow live.

https://p.dw.com/p/5IHoM

Women hold umbrellas as they walk along a road in the rain in Kochi, India, on August 1
The death toll from more than a month of rain in different parts of the country continues to riseImage: Sivaram Venkitasubramanian/NurPhoto/picture alliance

Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

  • Death toll from heavy rain rises in southern state of Kerala
  • Several die in lightning strike in Jharkhand
  • India’s weather agency predicts heavy rainfall across north India till Thursday

Here’s a roundup of the biggest headlines from India on Wednesday, August 5: 

Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add us as a Preferred Source on Google. Then tap the “Star” or “Preferred” to keep DW News at the top of your feed.

Skip next section Kerala: Monsoon death toll rises, more rain expected08/05/2026August 5, 2026

Kerala: Monsoon death toll rises, more rain expected

A man wades through a waterlogged area next to his partially submerged house following heavy rains in Kannadikkal, Kerala, India, August 3
Flooding and rain-related disasters are common in KeralaImage: Ck Thanseer/REUTERS

The death toll from heavy rainfall and related incidents rose on Wednesday in the southern state of Kerala, Indian media outlets reported, as authorities worked to rescue residents from low-lying areas. 

At least 25 people were dead, 10 injured and another four reported missing, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

Heavy rain continued to lash parts of the state, with more rainfall forecast for the weekend.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued red alerts – the highest level of warning – for eight districts – including Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Kottayam that have born the brunt of the rainfall.

Visuals from the state showed men wading through waist-deep floodwaters along with small wooden boats, Looking to rescue those who may be stranded, some families walked through the water with children perched on their fathers’ shoulders.

On Tuesday, Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan visited some of the affected areas to asses the damage and announced financial assistance to those whose homes were damaged by flooding.

The state recived nearly three times the normal rainfall between August 1 and August 4, data released by authorities showed. 

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video


https://p.dw.com/p/5IHzkSkip next section Welcome to our coverage08/05/2026August 5, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Mahima Kapoor | Roshni Majumdar Editor

Hello! This is Mahima Kapoor and I will be your guide to the latest news from the country. 

The capital and much of the the country are currently reeling under relentless monsoon rains.

In the state of Kerala, the death toll from abnormally high rainfall has risen as state authorities work to evacuate low-lying areas. Up north, in the state of Jharkhand, several people have lost their lives in multiple lightning strikes. 

The national weather agency has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall for most of the country for the rest of the workweek.

Stepping away from weather, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said it is “closely monitoring the situation” regarding the repatriation of 13 Indian seafarers after an Indian-flagged vessel was attacked and sunk off the coast of Yemen.

Follow along.

https://p.dw.com/p/5IHvGShow more posts

About The Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About the Author

Easy WordPress Websites Builder: Versatile Demos for Blogs, News, eCommerce and More – One-Click Import, No Coding! 1000+ Ready-made Templates for Stunning Newspaper, Magazine, Blog, and Publishing Websites.

BlockSpare — News, Magazine and Blog Addons for (Gutenberg) Block Editor

Search the Archives

Access over the years of investigative journalism and breaking reports