The Southwest Monsoon has now spread across the whole of Himachal Pradesh. It covered the entire state on Wednesday, reaching six days later than its usual arrival date of June 25.
As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the monsoon advanced into the remaining parts of the state on July 1. It covered the rest of Shimla district, including Shimla city, along with Sirmaur, Mandi, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, and Kangra. It also brought the entire districts of Solan, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Chamba under monsoon conditions.
The IMD had earlier said weather conditions were favourable for the monsoon to advance into the remaining parts of Himachal within two to three days. With the entire state now under its influence, widespread rainfall is expected over the coming week.
The weather department has forecast widespread rain across Himachal in the next few days. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places. A fresh Western Disturbance is also expected to affect northwest India from July 2, which could further increase rainfall across the state.
Meanwhile, pre-monsoon rain and bad weather have already caused extensive damage across Himachal Pradesh. Between March 1 and June 30, weather-related incidents claimed 128 lives and damaged roads, buildings and other infrastructure.
The latest report issued by the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) on Wednesday stated that the total financial loss due to weather-related damage has reached Rs 2,984.27 lakh, or nearly Rs 29.84 crore.
The latest spell of rain has also disrupted road connectivity across the state. A total of 44 roads remain blocked, with Mandi district reporting the highest number at 28, followed by Shimla, where 17 roads have been closed, according to the Public Works Department (PWD).
The Disaster Management Cell of the Revenue Department said 128 people lost their lives in weather-related incidents during the four-month pre-monsoon period from March 1 to June 30.
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