Shimla, June 30,
June 2025 turned out to be unusually wet for Himachal Pradesh, with six districts—Mandi, Hamirpur, Sirmaur, Solan, Shimla, and Kangra—recording excessive rainfall, pushing the state’s overall monthly average to the 21st highest since 1901. While the month saw fluctuations in monsoon intensity, the cumulative rainfall across Himachal reached 135 mm, 34% above the long-term normal of 101.1 mm.
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Mandi topped the rainfall chart with 306.2 mm, nearly double its average. Hamirpur followed with 212.1 mm, marking the highest deviation at 86%. Sirmaur received 287.4 mm, Solan 224.8 mm, Shimla 181 mm, and Kangra 265.9 mm—each district reporting excess rainfall ranging from 47% to 79%. These six districts alone accounted for the bulk of the state’s rainfall surge, reflecting a pattern of concentrated monsoonal impact.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the state witnessed rainfall on 24 out of 30 days in June, with “vigorous” rain activity reported on June 29 and “active” monsoon phases on eight other days—June 4, 5, 17, 18, 21, 25, 26, and 30. The latter part of the month was particularly intense, with widespread showers triggering localised flooding, slope failures, and damage to minor infrastructure in several districts. Notably, Palampur (145.4 mm), Jogindernagar (135 mm), and Rajgarh (130 mm) witnessed very heavy rainfall on single days, with stations like Pandoh repeatedly reporting figures above 120 mm.
While the headline figures may suggest a prosperous monsoon onset, the distribution remained highly unequal. Lahaul-Spiti, for instance, received only 22.5 mm—53% below average—while Kinnaur too recorded a 25% deficit. This geographic imbalance underlines growing concerns about erratic weather patterns in the western Himalayas, where climate shifts are now manifesting through hyperlocal cloudbursts in one region and prolonged dryness in another.
Experts caution that such uneven rainfall, compressed into fewer yet more intense days, poses new challenges for the hill state. From triggering sudden landslides to undermining seasonal agricultural cycles, the risks are rising. As July begins with continued rain in the forecast, the state finds itself balancing the immediate need for preparedness with long-term adaptation to a more volatile mountain monsoon.
