Red Alert for Himachal on July 20–21; IMD warns of extremely heavy rain
Red Alert for Himachal on July 20–21; IMD warns of extremely heavy rain
Shimla, July 18,
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red Alert for several parts of Himachal Pradesh for July 20 and 21, warning of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall that could trigger flash floods, landslides, mudslides, overflowing streams and disruption of road, power and communication services.
According to an IMD message, district-wise warnings will be issued shortly. The weather office has advised residents, tourists and local authorities to remain on high alert, avoid unnecessary travel to vulnerable areas and strictly follow advisories issued by the district administrations.
The five-day outlook indicates that rainfall activity will intensify from July 20, with the most severe spell expected during July 20–21, before gradually easing from July 23 onwards.
Also read: July Rainfall 2025: Shimla, Mandi get excess showers, Lahaul-Spiti faces 77% deficit
The warning comes even as the state has received near-normal rainfall during July so far, with the subdivision recording 136.8 mm rainfall against a normal of 137.3 mm between July 1 and 18. However, rainfall has been uneven across districts, with Kinnaur (+75%), Kullu (+49%), Solan (+40%) and Shimla (+36%) recording excess rainfall, while Hamirpur (-48%) and Lahaul & Spiti (-42%) remain significantly deficient.
For the monsoon season (June 1 to July 18), Himachal has recorded 201.6 mm rainfall against the normal 238.4 mm, a 15 per cent deficit overall. Despite the seasonal shortfall, the forecast of an intense rainfall spell over the next few days has raised concerns over the possibility of localised flooding, landslides and damage in vulnerable hill areas.
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