Weather update: Uttarakhand on alert as IMD predicts heavy rainfall
In its latest weather alert, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that very heavy to heavy rains will persist over Uttarakhand for five days and over Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Sub Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim for the next two days. Furthermore, the IMD also predicted rainfall activity to subdue in other parts of the country in the next four to five days.
Rishikesh-Chamba NH-94 closed due to landslide: Report
Relentless rains in Uttarakhand also resulted in the Rishikesh-Chamba National Highway-94 being closed as heavy boulders and debris blocked the way after a landslide occurred on Friday. According to the news outlet Mint, District Disaster Officer of Tehri Garhwal Brijesh Bhatt stated, "The national highway has been closed since last 24 hours, due to heavy debris and boulders that came yesterday."
Twitter post by IMD
5 Kedarnath pilgrims died earlier after landslide debris crushed car
Earlier, five Kedarnath pilgrims died after their vehicle was crushed under debris from a landslide in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district. Reportedly, the landslide occurred on the Guptkashi-Gaurikund highway close to Tarsali's Phata, washing away nearly 60 meters of the road on Thursday night. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) recovered their bodies on Friday after heavy rains delayed rescue work.
IMD's orange alert for Himachal Pradesh
On Saturday, the weather office issued an "orange" alert for eight districts of Himachal Pradesh. Speaking to the news agency ANI, IMD Deputy Director Bui Lal stated, "The rain is forecasted for most of the places." "We have issued orange alerts of heavy rainfall in Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, and Una districts of the state," he added.
Shocking visuals from Himachal's Pandoh
IMD provides weather updates for rest of India
The weather department has also forecasted heavy rains over Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh until Tuesday. The IMD predicted Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Tripura would receive substantial downpours between Tuesday and Wednesday. It also said the monsoon has weakened in the southern and western parts of India. Hence, subdued rainfall activity is forecasted over Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, and other states in these regions.
