SM weakens over HP ; Spl advisory issued for tribal areas owing to Ghapen Lake
Shimla, July 14
After days of widespread rain, the southwest monsoon has weakened over Himachal Pradesh, bringing a temporary lull in rainfall activity across most parts of the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast only isolated rainfall till July 16, with no heavy rain warning during the next four days. However, heavy rain is likely to return at isolated places from July 18 onwards.
According to the IMD’s morning weather bulletin, weather remained largely dry during the past 24 hours with only light rainfall recorded at a few places. Pandoh in Mandi district received the highest rainfall of 17.4 mm, followed by Jogindernagar and Kasauli with 3 mm each.
Trace rainfall was recorded at Jubberhatti and Bhabanagar, while Neri and Kahu received 0.5 mm and 0.4 mm respectively. No snowfall, thunderstorm, lightning, hailstorm or gusty winds were reported.
Temperatures remained near normal across the state. Kukumseri in Lahaul recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 10.5 degrees Celsius, while Neri in Hamirpur was the hottest station with a maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius.
The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Lahaul-Spiti, has issued a special advisory for the tribal district. Forecasts indicate a 57-61 per cent probability of rainfall at Keylong and 66-70 per cent at Udaipur on July 14, while Kaza is expected to remain mostly dry. The IMD has forecast light to moderate rain or snowfall at one or two places in the district over the next 48 hours.
The administration has advised residents and tourists to remain cautious while travelling through landslide-prone stretches despite the weakening monsoon. According to the latest road status report, only two PWD roads remain blocked in Lahaul subdivision. The Rohtang-Atal Tunnel North Portal-Sarchu section of NH-3 is open with single-lane traffic at one location where restoration work is underway. The Darcha-Shinkula road, Gramphu-Batal stretch of NH-505 and Sumdo-Batal road are open, while the Sansari-Killar-Tindi route is operational through an alternate alignment.
There has been no disruption to power supply or drinking water schemes, and no incidents of cloudburst, flash flood or major landslide have been reported in Lahaul-Spiti during the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Lahaul-Spiti Police have informed that newly installed traffic signals near Raja Ghepan Temple at Sissu are now fully operational. Motorists have been urged to strictly obey traffic signals and lane discipline to ensure smooth movement and road safety in the tourist season.
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