The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Shimla on Sunday (July 16) issued a flash flood warning for several districts in Himachal Pradesh, including Chamba, Kangra, Sirmaour, Shimla, and Kullu. According to the IMD, there is a “moderate to high risk” of flash floods in these areas and neighbouring watersheds until July 17. The warning has been issued as heavy rainfall is expected to continue in the region, posing a potential threat to the safety of residents and infrastructure.
According to the Met Department’s daily bulletin, Himachal Pradesh will see widespread rainfall for the next five days, while Uttarakhand and East Uttar Pradesh will see similar rainfall activity for the next three days.
According to the IMD, active monsoon conditions are expected to prevail over central and adjoining East India over the next five days, with heavy rainfall expected over Jharkhand and Odisha over the next 24 hours; over eastern Madhya Pradesh during July 16-18; over western Madhya Pradesh and the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra on July 16 and 18; and over Chhattisgarh on July 16-17.
Light to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall is expected to continue in the western part of the country over the next 5 days.
Similar rainfall activity is expected in Goa and the ghat areas of central Maharashtra from July 18-20, and in Gujarat from July 19-20, IMD said.
According to the IMD forecast, “fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning very likely over Arunachal Pradesh on 16th July; over Assam and Meghalaya on 16th & 17th July; over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura on 16th & 17th July.”
In parts of India, incessant rain has disrupted normal life and caused devastation.
Several roads were closed and hundreds of people were stranded as a result of landslides in the northwestern Himalayan region. The Balwakot-Dharchula road in Dharchula, near the Pithoragarh district’s border, was closed on Sunday due to a landslip, according to ANI. The Yamunotri Highway number 123 was also closed on Saturday due to falling debris near Chami village in the Pauri Tehsil of Uttarakhand’s Garhwal District.