Heavy monsoon rains have claimed at least 22 lives in northern India with houses collapsing and people swept away by the floods.

In the capital New Delhi, more rain fell in one day than at any time in the past 40 years. Two areas of Delhi recorded up to 280 mm of rainfall within a 24-hour period from Saturday to Sunday, around 15% of the average monsoon season’s rain fell in 12 hours.

Chandigarh, north of the capital, saw 302 mm of rainfall, surpassing its monthly mean in a day.

Following rainfall over the weekend , further heavy rains are expected in the coming days.

In addition to flooding, the torrential rain also resulted in landslides in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, cutting communication and travel infrastructure for many regions amid widespread power cuts.

Massive rains with flooding and landslides are not uncommon in the current monsoon season in South Asia.

The monsoon season typically lasts from June to September. The damage caused is often extensive: houses are washed away and there are almost always fatalities.

Despite the innate danger, the rainfall is vital for agriculture, on which a large portion of the population relies on for work.

Heavy rainfall is expected to continue throughout the week across northern regions of India.