Shimla (Rajeev Sharma): After a brief lull in monsoon activity, Himachal Pradesh is bracing for another spell of heavy rainfall, with the weather department forecasting intense showers in parts of the state on August 10 and 11. The change in weather is expected to follow the strengthening of a Western Disturbance.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for August 10 in Kangra and Sirmaur. The warning will shift to Chamba, Mandi, Kullu and Sirmaur on August 11. A Yellow Alert has also been issued for several other districts where moderate to heavy rain is possible.
Residents in areas under the orange warning have been advised to exercise caution, particularly around rivers, streams and locations vulnerable to landslides.
Rainfall activity to continue through August 13
The weather is expected to remain comparatively subdued over the next couple of days, with isolated areas likely to receive light rain.
For today, Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur are under a Yellow Alert for heavy rainfall. On the following day, similar warnings have been issued for Una, Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur.
The IMD has forecast rainfall activity in parts of Himachal Pradesh through August 13, with the possibility of the heaviest spell occurring during August 10-11.
Temperatures fall sharply across the hills
The recent rain has brought a noticeable chill to several parts of the state. Himachal’s average maximum temperature is currently 3.1°C below normal.
The most significant drop was recorded in Keylong, where the maximum temperature fell to 16.1°C, or 8.7°C below normal.
The mercury also remained considerably below average in other tourist and hill destinations. Bhuntar recorded 24.8°C, 6.5°C below normal, while Chamba’s maximum temperature was 26.9°C, nearly 5.9°C below the usual level. Manali recorded 19.6°C, around 5.8°C below normal.
State records 6% rainfall deficit
Despite repeated spells of rain, the overall monsoon rainfall in Himachal Pradesh remains below the seasonal average.
From June 1 to August 7, the state received 400.1 mm of rainfall, compared with the normal 425.4 mm for the period, resulting in a 6% deficit.
The largest shortfall was recorded in Lahaul-Spiti at 52%, followed by Hamirpur at 43%. Mandi recorded a 23% deficit, Kangra 14% and Solan 3%.
Several districts, however, have received excess rainfall. Kinnaur recorded 32% above normal rainfall, while Kullu and Shimla registered surpluses of 27% and 25%, respectively. Chamba, Sirmaur, Una and Bilaspur also remained marginally above their normal rainfall levels.
With another wet spell approaching, authorities are keeping a close watch on vulnerable areas, while residents and travellers have been urged to monitor official weather advisories before heading into landslide- and flood-prone locations.
