After an intense spell of rain, Himachal Pradesh is bracing for more heavy showers. The IMD has issued an orange alert for Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi on August 11-12, with yellow alerts for several other districts. Rainfall in the state has already exceeded seasonal averages, raising concerns over landslides and disruptions.
Representational Image. File Pic
After an intense spell of rain in the northern part of India, Himachal Pradesh is set to experience heavy rainfall again in the coming few days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a fresh warning of continued rainfall activity in Himachal Pradesh. The weather agency has said that Himachal Pradesh is likely to experience heavy rain over the next few days.
While the IMD has issued an Orange Alert for August 11 and 12 in three districts and a Yellow Alert for the remaining districts, the situation in the northern part of India looks dangerous.
As reported by news agency ANI, heavy rain has been lashing the state, including the capital Shimla, over the past 24 hours. According to the IMD's regional centre in Shimla, as of now, four districts are under a Yellow Alert for today (August 8).
The monsoon season has taken a deadly toll on the state. Since June 20, a total of 202 deaths have been recorded due to monsoon-related incidents. Of these, 108 people lost their lives due to rain, floods, and landslides, while 94 deaths occurred in road accidents, as per the latest official data.
While speaking to the media about the intense rain, Sandeep Kumar Sharma, Senior Scientist at the IMD Shimla Centre, said that “light rainfall was recorded at isolated places in Kangra, Mandi, Bilaspur, and Sirmaur districts in the past 24 hours.”
He further added that, "Between August 8 and 10, light to moderate rainfall is likely in the mid and lower hill districts of the state. On August 8, isolated places in Solan, Mandi, Sirmaur, and Shimla may receive heavier rainfall," as cited by news agency ANI.
While shedding light on the Yellow Alert issued by the IMD, he said, "On August 9, a Yellow Alert has been issued for Kangra, Una, and Sirmaur districts for heavy rainfall. Rainfall activity is expected to pick up again from the night of August 10 and continue through the morning of August 11," as cited by news agency ANI.
According to Sharma, heavy rainfall may occur at isolated places in Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur, Una, and Bilaspur districts during this period.
Sharma also asserted that "Widespread rainfall is likely across the state on August 11 and 12. Particularly, the Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi districts have been issued an Orange Alert for heavy rainfall on these days, while Yellow Alerts have been issued for other mid-hill districts such as Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur, Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Kullu, and Chamba," as per news agency ANI.
The IMD also reported that the rainfall in Himachal Pradesh during August has been 35 per cent above the average, with districts such as Solan, Kullu, Kinnaur, Bilaspur, and Una registering nearly double the average rainfall.
The state has received 13 per cent more rainfall than the seasonal average from June 1 to August 8. Rainfall in the Shimla district has been the highest, with Mandi following closely behind, with an estimated 65 per cent above average. Additionally, the districts of Chamba, Una, Bilaspur, and Kangra have experienced a 40 per cent increase in rainfall compared to the average.
Despite the current lack of precipitation in numerous regions, no significant flood warnings have been issued, despite the moist conditions.
(With ANI inputs)
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