Heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh: 102 roads closed, yellow alert in effect till August 7

Heavy rainfall continues to affect parts of Himachal Pradesh, with 102 roads closed due to landslides and flash floods as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for isolated heavy rain until August 7. Authorities have also reported disruptions to water supply and power infrastructure in several districts.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 28 water supply schemes and 11 transformers were disrupted as of Saturday evening following the recent spell of rain.

Which districts are most affected?

Mandi remains the worst-hit district, with 43 roads blocked. Kullu follows with 33 road closures, while 11 roads are shut in Shimla. Chamba and Kangra each have five blocked roads, Sirmaur has four, and one road is closed in Una district.

The road closures come after landslides and flash floods triggered by persistent rainfall across the state.

Rainfall recorded across Himachal Pradesh

Several areas recorded light to moderate rainfall over the past 24 hours.

Pandoh received the highest rainfall at 45 mm, followed by:

Shimla – 36.3 mm

Sarahan – 35.3 mm

Slapper – 31.6 mm

Jot – 30.8 mm

Dharamshala – 26.3 mm

Kufri – 25.5 mm

Thunderstorms and lightning were also reported in Sundernagar and Murarai Devi.

Bharmaur in Chamba recorded the state's lowest minimum temperature at 10°C, while Una was the hottest during the day with a maximum temperature of 32.6°C.

Rainfall outlook for August

Weather data shows that Himachal Pradesh received 275.6 mm of rainfall between July 1 and July 31, compared with the normal average of 255.9 mm, marking an eight per cent excess for the period.

Looking ahead, the weather department has forecast normal to above-normal rainfall over parts of Chamba district and adjoining areas of Lahaul during August. The remaining parts of the state are expected to receive below-normal rainfall.

With the yellow alert remaining in force until August 7, residents and travellers are advised to stay updated on road conditions, especially in districts affected by landslides and heavy rain.

With PTI inputs