Himachal Pradesh: Active monsoon, heavy rain forecast till September 3

Himachal Pradesh is likely to experience an active monsoon until Sept 3, with heavy rainfall forecast in several districts. 98 roads are blocked and 107 DTRs are disrupted across the state, with Mandi being the worst-affected district.

Himachal Pradesh IMD Scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma (Photo/ANI)

Himachal Pradesh is likely to experience active monsoon conditions till September 3, with isolated heavy rainfall forecast in several districts, while 98 roads remained blocked and 107 distribution transformer regions disrupted across the state, officials said.

IMD Forecasts Active Monsoon

Senior scientist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Himachal Pradesh, Sandeep Kumar Sharma, told ANI in Shimla on Monday that light to moderate rainfall was recorded across parts of the state during the past 24 hours, with isolated heavy spells in Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur. He said the highest rainfall during the period was recorded at Malgaon in Kangra district and Joginder Nagar in Mandi district, where around 17 mm of rainfall was recorded. Shimla city received around 6 mm of rainfall during the period.

"From August 31 to September 4, light to moderate rainfall is likely to continue over several districts, particularly the mid-hill areas. During this period, isolated heavy rainfall is also possible in some districts," Sharma said.

According to the IMD forecast, isolated heavy rainfall is expected in Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur on August 31. On September 1, rainfall activity is expected to intensify, with a yellow warning for heavy rainfall issued for Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Bilaspur, Solan and Sirmaur, he said.

On September 2, isolated heavy rainfall is forecast over Kangra, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur, while on September 3, the intensity of rainfall is likely to decrease, with heavy rainfall possible mainly over Kangra and Sirmaur.

Sharma said light rainfall activity could continue on September 4, although the possibility of significant rainfall was relatively low. Rainfall on September 5 and 6 is likely to remain confined to a few areas.

"Overall, the monsoon will remain active across Himachal Pradesh from August 31 to September 3," he said.

Giving details of the seasonal rainfall, Sharma said the state had received around 10 per cent less rainfall than normal between June 1 and August 31 this year. He said only a few districts had recorded significant rainfall deficiency, with Lahaul and Spiti receiving around 60 per cent below-normal rainfall, while another district had recorded a deficiency of around 35 per cent.

On the other hand, Kullu and Shimla had received around 14 per cent more rainfall than normal, he said. Most other parts of the state had recorded rainfall close to the normal range, according to the IMD scientist.

Sharma said temperatures in several pockets of Himachal Pradesh during the past 24 hours were around 1-2 degrees Celsius above normal, which remained within the normal seasonal category. He said some stations, including Bunthar and Kalpa, had recorded temperatures around 4 degrees Celsius above normal.

However, the continuing rainfall activity over the next four days is likely to keep temperatures in the plains and mid-hill areas around normal, he said.

"During this period, temperatures in the plains and mid-hill areas are likely to remain around normal," Sharma said. He said Shimla's temperatures were likely to remain between 22 and 24 degrees Celsius, while temperatures in the lower and mid-hill areas, including Kangra and Mandi, could remain around 32 degrees Celsius.

Infrastructure Disruption and Advisories

Sharma cautioned residents and tourists about the possibility of rising water levels in major rivers and local streams as rainfall activity remains strong through September 3. "As the weather activity is likely to remain strong from August 31 to September 3, water levels in major rivers and local streams may rise. The general public is advised not to go near water bodies," he said.

He also warned that visibility could deteriorate considerably in several districts, particularly during periods of cloud cover and heavy rainfall.

"Visibility may become quite low in several districts. Whenever you plan travel, plan accordingly and follow the advisories issued by the state government," Sharma said.

Meanwhile, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) status report compiled on the morning of August 31, 98 roads, including no National Highway, remained blocked across Himachal Pradesh following adverse weather. Mandi was the worst affected with 43 blocked roads, followed by Kullu with 16, Chamba 15, Kangra 7, Sirmaur 5, Solan 4, Una 4, Lahaul and Spiti 2 and Shimla 2.

Power supply was also affected, with 107 Distribution Transformer Regions (DTRs) reported disrupted across the state. Mandi accounted for 89 of the disrupted DTRs, followed by Lahaul and Spiti with eight, and Chamba and Solan with five each.

A total of 37 water supply schemes were also reported disrupted, all in Hamirpur district, including areas under Barsar, Bhota, Bhoranj and Sujanpur subdivisions.

Authorities have warned of possible landslides, mudslides, waterlogging in low-lying areas, rising water levels in rivers and streams and slippery road conditions amid the continuing rainfall. Residents and tourists have been advised to avoid vulnerable landslide- and flash-flood-prone areas, maintain a safe distance from rivers, streams and other water bodies, follow traffic and speed advisories and remain updated through official government alerts. (ANI)

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