Shimla, August 8
The southwest monsoon has further intensified over Himachal Pradesh, disrupting normal life in several parts of the state and impacting road connectivity, power supply, and water distribution systems.
The Meteorological Department has forecast continued heavy rainfall over the next two to three days, with the possibility of very heavy rain at isolated locations on August 10 and 11.
An orange alert has been issued for Kangra and Sirmaur districts on August 10, and for Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, and Sirmaur on August 11.
A yellow alert has been issued for moderate to heavy rainfall across other parts of the state. Residents in areas under the orange alert have been advised to avoid rivers, streams, and landslide-prone zones.
According to the IMD, rainfall activity is expected to persist in the state until August 13. While monsoon activity may remain relatively subdued for a brief period, a strong western disturbance active over the region for the past two days is likely to interact with prevailing weather systems, leading to a significant increase in rainfall from August 10 onwards.
A yellow alert for heavy rainfall has also been issued for Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur on Saturday, while Una, Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur are under a yellow alert for light to moderate rainfall on Sunday.
Continuous rainfall over the past 24 hours has disrupted normal life, with approximately 162 roads, 105 power distribution lines, and 64 water supply schemes affected across the state.
In Mandi district, 56 roads were reported blocked by Friday night, primarily in the Seraj Assembly constituency, while 48 roads were disrupted in Kullu district, particularly in the Banjar region.
Power infrastructure has also been significantly impacted. Around 77 distribution transformers have been shut down in the Spiti subdivision of Lahaul and Spiti district, while 22 additional transformers have been affected in Kullu.
The persistent rainfall has led to a sharp drop in temperatures across the state, with average maximum temperatures remaining 3.1°C below normal. Keylong recorded the most significant deviation, with the maximum temperature falling 8.7°C below normal to 16.1°C. Bhuntar recorded 24.8°C, 6.5°C below normal, while Chamba and Manali recorded 26.9°C and 19.6°C, respectively, with deviations of 5.9°C and 5.8°C below normal.
Despite recent rainfall, the state continues to record an overall monsoon deficit. Between June 1 and August 7, Himachal Pradesh received 400.1 mm of rainfall against the normal 425.4 mm, reflecting a six per cent deficit.
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Hamirpur recorded the highest deficit at 43 per cent, followed by Lahaul and Spiti at 52 per cent, Mandi at 23 per cent, Kangra at 14 per cent, and Solan at 3 per cent. In contrast, Bilaspur recorded 1 per cent excess rainfall, Chamba 9 per cent, Kinnaur 32 per cent, Kullu 27 per cent, Shimla 25 per cent, Sirmaur 8 per cent, and Una 9 per cent above normal.
The intensified rainfall has also affected traffic movement in Shimla. According to the Traffic Police, a vehicle broke down near the Victory Tunnel at around 7:05 pm on Friday, while another developed a technical fault near Ripon Hospital at around 7:10 pm. Both vehicles were promptly removed by traffic personnel, restoring normal traffic flow.
Traffic movement has also been temporarily restricted near the Lift area due to precautionary tree-cutting operations after a tree was identified as a potential hazard. Traffic police and other departmental teams have been deployed at the site, and normal movement is expected to resume upon completion of the work. Commuters have been advised to avoid unnecessary congestion, follow traffic advisories, and use alternative routes where possible.
Several under-construction highways and road stretches across the state have also become vulnerable due to persistent rainfall. With heavier rain expected in the coming days, authorities are closely monitoring rivers, khads, drainage channels, and other sensitive locations.
The administration has urged residents and tourists to remain vigilant, warning that continued rainfall may lead to a sudden rise in water levels in rivers, streams, and reservoirs. People have been advised to avoid venturing near water bodies and to refrain from travelling through landslide-prone areas during periods of heavy rain.
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