The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for three districts in Himachal Pradesh, as heavy rainfall is expected to continue over the next few days. The warning comes with the monsoon still going strong in the state, which has already seen widespread rain throughout 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, stated this 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.
As per the latest data from the India Meteorological Department, Chuvari in Chamba received the highest rainfall in the hill state with 57 mm. Banjar in Kullu saw 52 mm, and Naina Devi in Bilaspur recorded 43 mm. Many other places received light rain. Sharma said this pattern of rain is likely to continue in the mid-hill and lower-hill areas 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 is also in effect for Kullu, Bilaspur, Una, and Hamirpur. On August 2 and 3, districts like Bilaspur, Mandi, Solan, Shimla, and Sirmaur may get rain, with yellow alerts issued accordingly. On August 3, Chamba, Kangra, and Sirmaur will also remain under yellow alert.
Rain activity is likely to pick up again on August 4 and 5, with showers expected across the entire state. On August 6, isolated heavy rainfall may occur in all districts except Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur, where yellow alerts have also been issued.
Rainfall in July was close to normal at -2 per cent, Sharma noted. However, Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba saw below-average rain, while other districts like Mandi and Shimla recorded up to 70 per cent above normal rainfall.
Between June 20 and July 31, the state received 10 per cent more rainfall than average. Still, Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur remain rain-deficient overall even during the broader monsoon period.
Sharma also explained that if a location receives over 100 mm of rain in one hour, it qualifies as a cloudburst. He warned that some areas in Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi may face very heavy rain in the next 24 hours, increasing 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.
Residents are advised to avoid water bodies and riverbanks, especially in vulnerable zones.
"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 further said.
With more rain on the way, officials remain on alert in flood-prone areas already affected by this season’s rains.
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