Uttar Pradesh got a break from five days of continuous heavy rains on Friday. Though light to moderate intermittent rains were reported from many parts of the state, the intensity has decreased. While total rains in the monsoon so far have been 89 per cent above normal, incessant rains have also claimed 18 lives so far, including three more deaths in a house collapse incident in Kanpur on Friday. The weatherman has predicted low rainfall activity for the next 2-3 days. The monsoon, however, will revive again from July 4-5.

According to the monsoon assessment report of UP MET department, the monsoon arrived in UP on June 17, two days behind schedule, but has given ample rains so far. The per district average rainfall in the state between June 1-30 was 170 mm against the normal of 89.8 mm, which was 89 per cent above normal. The west UP received more rains in comparison to the east. The average per district rainfall in west UP was 168.1 mm against the normal of 58.1 mm, which was 147 per cent above normal. In east UP, the average per district rainfall was 117.2 mm, 64 per cent higher than normal 104.1 mm. In Lucknow, the rainfall in the same period was 47 per cent.

The drought prone Bundelkhand area of the state has received maximum rainfall in last few days. Betwa and Ken rivers, largely fed by rains, have flooded low lying areas in Lalitpur district, damaging hundreds of kuccha houses. The Lalitpur has also been the wettest district of the state so far with 640 mm rains against the normal of 83 mm, which was 588 per cent above normal. The Lalitpur district administration has opened all dams on Betwa river. A compensation of Rs 12,000 has been announced for every family whose hutments have washed away in floods. Heavy rains were also reported from remaining six districts of Bundelkhand.

The rainfall in 65 out of 71 districts in the state has been surplus so far in the monsoon. As a result, major rivers are swelling in UP. While Ganga was rising in Varanasi, Kanpur and Rae Bareli, Sharda was in spate in Kheri and Saryu in Ayodhya. Ghagra was on the rise in Barabanki Bahraich and Gonda. Water level of Khadda river was rising in Kushinagar. People in the low lying areas of these rivers have been asked to move to safer places. The UP relief commissioner's office told TOI that there is no immediate threat of flood but all districts magistrates in the state have been issued orders to take make preparations in advance.