ISLAMABAD: Heavy rain and thunderstorms over Pakistan’s capital diverted flights arriving from Jeddah and Paris on Monday, authorities said, as separate days of flooding killed at least 62 people in northern India.

The storm struck Islamabad and neighboring Rawalpindi early Monday, disrupting operations at Islamabad International Airport. The Pakistan Airports Authority said both diverted flights landed safely at other airports in the country.

Pakistan’s Meteorological Department said a westerly wave was affecting upper and central parts of the country and could persist for another 24 hours. It forecast further thunderstorms across parts of northern and central Pakistan, with heavy rain or hail possible in isolated areas.

“Due to adverse weather (thunderstorm/rain) at Islamabad, PIA flight PK750 (Paris - Islamabad) was diverted to Multan, landing safely at 05:44 AM,” the airports authority said in a post on X. 

An AirSial flight from Jeddah was diverted to Peshawar, where it landed safely at 10:25 a.m., the authority said.

The weather department recorded 33 millimeters of rain in Islamabad’s Saidpur area and 28 millimeters in Rawalpindi’s Pirwadhai. 

In India, at least 62 people died after three days of heavy rain and flooding in Uttar Pradesh state, officials said Monday. The state government reported 46 people injured and more than 1,000 houses damaged. Schools closed in some areas, including the state capital, Lucknow, while rescue teams moved residents from flooded neighborhoods to safer ground.

Forecasters in India said the rain was expected to ease as a weather system over the Bay of Bengal weakened. That was distinct from the westerly wave cited by Pakistani forecasters. 

Flooding also forced more than 75,000 people to evacuate in India’s eastern Odisha state, officials said.

In neighboring Nepal, weather-related incidents killed 21 people between Thursday and Sunday, according to the country’s disaster management agency. 

With additional reporting from The Associated Press