Shimla (Rajeev Sharma): Heavy monsoon showers continued to impact several parts of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, disrupting normal life and prompting the administration to shut schools in vulnerable areas of Kullu district. Continuous rainfall since late Monday night has triggered landslides at multiple locations, affecting road connectivity and raising safety concerns.
As a precaution, the Kullu district administration announced the closure of all educational institutions in the Ani, Banjar and Nirmand subdivisions for July 22. Officials said the decision was taken after heavy rainfall increased the possibility of landslides and road blockages in these hilly regions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more rain during the day, issuing an Orange Alert for Kangra and Mandi districts, where intense rainfall is expected at isolated places. A Yellow Alert has also been sounded for Chamba, Kullu, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur, warning residents to remain cautious as weather conditions could worsen.
According to weather officials, the current spell is likely to lose intensity from Wednesday as the western disturbance influencing the region begins to weaken. While scattered showers are expected to continue until July 27, the department has predicted that most areas will witness only light to moderate rainfall, with intervals of partly cloudy weather.
Despite the recent wet spell, Himachal Pradesh is still recording below-average rainfall for the ongoing monsoon season. Between June 1 and July 21, the state received 230.2 mm of rain against the normal average of 266.4 mm, leaving an overall rainfall deficit of around 14 per cent.
Among the districts reporting lower-than-normal precipitation are Bilaspur (27%), Hamirpur (42%), Mandi (30%), Kangra (19%), Chamba (6%), Sirmaur (4%), Una (3%), and Lahaul-Spiti (42%).
Meanwhile, the sustained rainfall has brought a sharp fall in daytime temperatures across many parts of the state. Chamba witnessed one of the steepest declines, with the maximum temperature settling at 22.9°C, nearly 11 degrees below the seasonal average. Similar cooling was observed in Kangra, where the mercury reached 25.9°C, while Bhuntar recorded a maximum temperature of 25.4°C, providing much-needed relief from the recent spell of heat and humidity.
Authorities have advised residents and tourists to avoid unnecessary travel in landslide-prone areas, as unstable slopes and waterlogged roads continue to pose risks despite the expected easing of rainfall later this week.
