Weather Office Warns Of Flash Flood Risk In Parts Of Himachal Pradesh

The meteorological office in Shimla on Monday warned of low to moderate flash flood risk in several parts of Himachal Pradesh, including Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur and Kinnaur, until Tuesday afternoon.

It also issued a 'yellow' alert of heavy rain, thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places in nine out of 12 districts in the state, barring Kinnaur, Chamba and Lahaul and Spiti till Tuesday.

Meanwhile, 109 roads, including a national highway, across the state were closed on Monday following heavy rains in several areas, the state emergency operation centre said.

Besides National Highway 707 between Hatkoti in Shimla district and Poanta Sahib in Sirmaur district getting blocked, 55 roads were closed in Sirmaur, 23 in Shimla, 10 each in Mandi and Kangra, nine in Kullu, one each in Lahaul and Spiti and Una districts, the centre said.

As many as 427 power supply schemes were also disrupted across the state, it added.

Meanwhile, heavy rains lashed parts of Sirmaur, Bilaspur and Mandi district while moderate rainfall was recorded in several places of the state in the past 24 hours until Monday evening.

Dadahu in in Sirmaur district was the wettest in the state recording 160 mm of rainfall, followed by 146.5 mm rains in Nahan, 130 mm in Naina Devi, 83 mm in Pachhad, 74.5 mm in Dhaulakuan, 72.6 mm in Poanta Sahib, the weather data showed.

Hamirpur noted 70 mm rainfall, Sundernagar 67 mm, Kataula 55.1 mm, Sundernagar 46.2 mm, Pandoh 34 mm, Chamba 33 mm, Bharmour 32 mm and Palampur 30 mm, it added.

Himachal Pradesh's rainfall deficit so far since the onset of monsoon in the state on June 27 stands at 23 per cent with 482.1 mm rainfall against an average of 623.9 mm.

As many as 153 people have died in rain-related incidents so far this year and the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,271 crore, officials said.

According to the weather departments of the 12 revenue districts in the state, 11 recorded a rainfall deficit and only Shimla received excess rainfall at 10 per cent.

On Sunday, Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti was the coldest place in the state at night, recording a low of 11.8 degrees Celsius, while Una was the hottest with a maximum temperature of 33.5 degrees.

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