Shimla, July 7,
In a rare and welcome twist, Himachal Pradesh woke up to blue skies and bright sunshine on Monday morning, just hours after the India Meteorological Department had sounded a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall across multiple districts for July 6 and 7. The warning had predicted heavy to extremely heavy downpours accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places, raising fears of fresh landslides, flash floods, and travel disruptions.
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The unexpected break in the weather came as a huge relief, especially for residents of Shimla and Mandi, who have been grappling with heavy rainfall and its fallout for the past fortnight. Despite Monday’s clear skies, data from the Meteorological Department reveals the damage has already been done. In just the first six days of July, Mandi recorded 191.4 mm of rainfall against a normal of 51.3 mm — an excess of 273 percent. Shimla saw 101.7 mm of rainfall, more than three times its normal average of 30.4 mm for this period, marking a 234 percent surplus.
Other districts have also received unusually high rainfall. Una recorded 186.3 mm compared to a normal of 55.4 mm, while Hamirpur and Kangra registered 111 mm and 137.8 mm respectively, both well above their seasonal norms. The overall subdivision rainfall for Himachal Pradesh between July 1 and 6 stands at 60 mm, against a normal of 35 mm, reflecting a 71 percent departure from average.
Authorities had issued advisories on Sunday asking people to stay indoors, avoid unnecessary travel, and remain vigilant against potential landslides and waterlogging. With roads blocked and essential services disrupted in parts of the state over the past two weeks, today’s weather has brought a much-needed window for relief and restoration. Emergency services are now able to move more freely, and repair work in affected areas has picked up pace.
While the IMD has maintained that heavy rainfall at isolated locations may continue till July 10, the worst appears to have passed for now. For residents, the morning sunshine brought not just better visibility, but also hope. After days of anxiety under grey skies, Himachal Pradesh is breathing easier today — albeit with cautious optimism as the monsoon continues its journey.
