Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said it would have been good if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited landslide-hit Wayanad earlier.

The MP from Thiruvananthapuram expressed his hope that after the Prime Minister's visit, the central government would at least classify the disaster as a natural disaster and provide appropriate funds for relief and reconstruction.

“As for me, I think better late than never is the best thing I can say,” Tharoor told reporters in response to a question about Modi's visit to Kerala's Wayanad earlier in the day.

Heavy rains occurred in parts of Himachal Pradesh, causing landslides and flash floods and closing 135 roads in the state.

Damage due to heavy rains, landslides and flash floods were reported from Lahaul, Spiti, Chamba and Sirmaur districts, but there were no casualties.

Lahaul and Spiti police have issued an alert to residents and travellers to exercise extreme caution and not to cross the Jahalman Nallah as water levels are rising rapidly.

The regional meteorological office has also issued an 'orange' warning of heavy to very heavy rain in isolated areas in five districts — Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur — along with thunderstorms and lightning on Saturday, and a 'yellow' warning of heavy rain across the state till August 16.

According to official reports, two soldiers were killed and three others injured in an encounter with terrorists in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The clash began during a cordon and search operation in the Ahlan Gagarmandu area of ​​the Kokernag region.

On Saturday, rain lashed parts of the capital, bringing morning traffic to a standstill and causing water to accumulate in many places.

The Public Works Department said it received 20 complaints of waterlogging during the day, while the Delhi Municipal Corporation received five complaints of similar nature and of uprooting of trees.

The maximum temperature in Delhi on Saturday was 32.8 degrees Celsius, one notch below the seasonal average. The minimum temperature in the morning was 25.8 degrees Celsius, 1.2 notches below normal, according to the India Meteorological Department.

Rainfall occurred in East Delhi and the south and west of the city. The Ridge Observatory recorded 22.8 mm of rain between 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm.

The Rohtak Road, the highway connecting the city with Haryana, experienced heavy traffic jams due to the rains.

AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Saturday called on party workers and people to fight against the “tyranny” in the country and said that if all opposition parties stood united against the “dictatorship”, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would be released from prison within 24 hours.

Addressing AAP workers at the party headquarters a day after his release from Tihar Jail on bail, he said party workers must immediately work hard to ensure that the BJP loses the assembly elections in Haryana, Delhi and elsewhere.

The former Delhi deputy chief minister urged the new allies of the BJP-led NDA as well as the opposition parties of the INDIA bloc to unite against the “dictatorship”, not only to save their political leaders from imprisonment but more importantly in the interest of the country.

The Aam Aadmi Party is part of the INDIA bloc. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the AAP and another Congress party from the INDIA bloc contested together.

“If the entire opposition calls against the dictatorship with all its might, Arvind Kejriwal will be released from jail within 24 hours,” Sisodia said. The Delhi chief minister is in Tihar Jail in connection with a fraud case related to the excise policy.

China warned the Philippines on Saturday to refrain from “interfering” in the area around a disputed reef in the South China Sea after the Philippines said one of its aircraft had been harassed by the Chinese air force.

“We strongly warn the Philippines to immediately stop its incursions, provocations, distortions and incitements,” the People's Liberation Army's Southern Command said in a statement, adding that “China has indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island (Scarborough Reef) and its adjacent waters.”

Heavy rain continued in parts of Rajasthan, with the highest rainfall of 112 mm recorded in Pipalkhunt in Pratapgarh district, the weather department said on Saturday.

Heavy rains also occurred in Bharatpur, Alwar and Bikaner, it said.

The weather service has predicted further rain showers in some places for the coming week.

Till 8:30 am on Saturday, Deeg in Bharatpur received 89 mm of rain, Bamanwas in Sawai Madhopur 76 mm, Mundawar in Alwar 72 mm and Khajuwala in Bikaner 65 mm, according to the Jaipur Meteorological Centre.

The weather department said that heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at some places in Jaipur, Ajmer and Kota districts on Saturday.

Heavy rains are expected to continue in Jaipur, Ajmer, Kota, Udaipur and Bharatpur divisions for the next 5-7 days.

Moderate and at times heavy rain is expected in some parts of Bikaner and Jodhpur divisions in western Rajasthan during the next five to six days. Heavy rain is possible in some places in Shekhawati region.

Parts of Himachal Pradesh experienced heavy rains, while 128 roads in the state remained closed due to landslides and flash floods.

The regional weather office has also issued an “orange” warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, for isolated locations on Saturday and a “yellow” warning of heavy rainfall until August 16.

Parts of the state experienced heavy rains. Nahan (Sirmaur) recorded the highest rainfall since Friday evening at 168.3 mm, followed by 106.4 mm in Sandhole, 93.2 mm in Nagrota Suriyan, 67 mm in Dhaulakuan, 53.2 mm in Jubberhatti and 45.6 mm in Kandaghat.

According to the State Disaster Management Center, the rains caused disruptions in 44 electricity and 67 water supply systems.

The weather department also warned of a low to moderate risk of flash floods in isolated parts of Mandi, Sirmaur, Shimla and Kullu districts until Sunday morning.