Shimla, July 20: The India Meteorological Department extended a red alert for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across several districts of Himachal Pradesh through July 21. Weather officials cautioned that sustained downpours could trigger flash flooding, landslips, rapid river swells, and severely reduced road visibility.
Senior IMD Scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma stated that widespread precipitation will continue state-wide through July 23, with peak intensity occurring over a 48-hour period. During the preceding 24 hours, Mahore logged the highest precipitation volume, followed by Manali and Kangra, while dense cloud cover remained concentrated over Chamba, Kangra, and Una.
“A red alert is in place for Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur, where very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected,” IMD Senior Scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma declared. “The weather intensity is expected to remain high.”
The meteorological office placed Una, Hamirpur, Kullu, and Solan under an orange alert, while Bilaspur, Kinnaur, and Lahaul-Spiti remain under a yellow warning. While precipitation is forecast to moderate slightly starting July 22, wet conditions will endure before a gradual improvement begins between July 24 and 26.
Advising residents and commuters against approaching swollen waterways or vulnerable transit routes, official guidance urged careful navigation along fog-prone stretches.
“Low clouds are likely to reduce visibility significantly in several areas around Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur,” Sandeep Kumar Sharma noted. “People travelling through these areas should exercise extra caution.”
Despite current heavy spells, state-wide rainfall for July remains 7 per cent below seasonal averages, with an overall monsoon deficit of 18 per cent. Only four districts—Una, Shimla, Kullu, and Kinnaur—have recorded above-normal precipitation this season.
