The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘orange alert' warning for parts of Himachal Pradesh predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next three days. According to the weather agency, an orange warning of heavy rainfall has been issued for Kangra, Mandi, Shimla and Sirmaur districts on June 30, while a yellow warning has been issued for the remaining districts except Lahaul and Spiti.
Similarly, an orange rainfall warning has been predicted for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Solan, Sirmaur and Shimla districts on July 1 along with a yellow warning for Chamba, Kullu and Kinnaur districts. An orange warning of heavy rain has also been issued for Solan, Shimla and Mandi districts for July 2 along with a yellow warning for other areas excluding Lahaul and Spiti.
The heavy rains could lead to localised flooding of roads and waterlogging in low-lying areas. It may also cause the closure of underpasses in urban areas along with occasional reduction in visibility due to heavy downpour. Traffic disruptions are also expected in major cities due to waterlogging. Vulnerable infrastructure like kuccha roads could be damaged along with the possibility of localised landslides and mudslides. Standing crops and horticulture in certain regions may face losses as well.
People have been advised to avoid vulnerable structures and areas prone to flooding. IMD Director Surender Paul has stated that rainfall activity is likely to continue across Himachal Pradesh till July 5. During the past 24 hours, light to moderate rain along with thunderstorms was reported from a few places. Roads in three districts were shut due to rains and power disruption was reported at 76 locations across the state.
