Orange alert in Himachal: Heavy rainfall expected to continue till August 6

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 1 (ANI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for three districts in Himachal Pradesh, warning of continued heavy rainfall across the region over the next several days. The alert comes as monsoon activity remains intense in the state, which has already witnessed widespread rain over the past week.
"During the past 24 hours, most parts of Himachal Pradesh received light to moderate rainfall," said Sandeep Kumar Sharma, Senior Scientist at IMD Himachal Pradesh, while speaking to ANI in Shimla on Friday.
"The Chuwadi area of Chamba district recorded heavy to very heavy rainfall. Kullu, Bilaspur, and Hamirpur experienced moderate rainfall," he said.
According to the latest data shared by IMD, Chuvari in Chamba received the highest rainfall in the state at 57mm. Banjar in Kullu recorded 52 mm of rain, Naina Devi in Bilaspur recorded 43 mm, and several other areas witnessed light rainfall.
Sharma said the rainfall trend is expected to continue in the mid-hill and lower-hill regions of the state.
"An orange alert has been issued for Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi districts on August 1 due to the possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall," said Sharma.
"A yellow alert has been issued for Kullu, Bilaspur, Una, and Hamirpur districts for the same day," he said.
"On August 2 and 3, rainfall is expected in Bilaspur, Mandi, Solan, Shimla, and Sirmaur districts, with yellow alerts in place," he added.
"For August 3, yellow alerts have been issued for Chamba, Kangra, and Sirmaur," he said.
"Rain activity is likely to intensify again on August 4 and 5, with rainfall expected across the entire state," Sharma warned.
"On August 6, heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places in all districts except Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur, for which yellow alerts have also been issued," he added.
Commenting on the monsoon performance so far, Sharma noted, "In the month of July, rainfall was recorded at -2%, which is close to normal." However, Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba districts received below normal rainfall, while the rest of the state experienced either normal or above-normal precipitation.
"In fact, Mandi and Shimla districts recorded rainfall that was 70 percent above normal for the month," he added.
From June 20 to July 31, the state saw 10 percent more rainfall than the average, Sharma confirmed. Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur continue to report a rain deficit even during the broader monsoon period.
Sharma also explained the cloudburst classification. "If over 100 mm of rainfall is recorded in a particular location within one hour, it qualifies as a cloudburst," he said.
He warned that a few locations in Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi districts may receive heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours, raising the risk of localised flash floods.
"The IMD is closely monitoring the situation and updating alerts through the Mausam mobile app and official coordination with the administration," Sharma said.
He urged citizens to stay away from water bodies and major river sources during this period, especially in vulnerable areas.
"Visibility is expected to remain poor in districts such as Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur. People are advised to drive cautiously in hilly terrain and adhere strictly to all state government advisories," he added.
With the rain spell expected to last several more days, authorities are on high alert, particularly in areas that have already been hit hard by the ongoing monsoon season. (ANI)