Uttarakhand Receives Heavy Rain, Several Key Roads Damaged

Incessant rain battered Uttarakhand on Thursday. Remnants of Cyclone Tauktae and a Western Disturbance led to very heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand for the last 24 hours, causing a sharp drop in temperature at most places in the state. Several road links including parts of the Badrinath Highway have been damaged. The weather office has warned of more rain in few districts including Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Tehri, Pauri, Bageshwar, Nainital, Almora and Champawat.

The upper Himalayan regions of the state, including Badrinath in Chamoli district and Kedarnath in Rudraprayag, also received snowfall.

Heavy rainfall began in Uttarakhand on Tuesday night. The weakened cyclone coupled with a Western Disturbance resulted in continuous rain, Rohit Thapliyal, a scientist at the Met office told news agency Press Trust of India. He added that the intensity of rain may weaken in the Garhwal region on Thursday but the Kumaon region needs to remain on alert.

The weather department has advised people living near rivulets and streams to stay cautious. Commuters also need to be careful, it said. People have been advised to watchout and take shelter during thunderstorms and lightning .

Nainital received 132 mm of rainfall followed by Mussoorie, which received 103 mm and Mukteshwar recorded 85 mm of rainfall over the last 24 hours, Mr Thapliyal said. Dehradun received 47 mm rainfall, Pantnagar 43 mm, Tehri 56 mm and Pithoragarh 43 mm rainfall, he added.

Many areas recorded maximum temperatures of eight to ten degrees below the normal at this time of the year.