Himachal Pradesh issues orange alert for heavy rain this Saturday
Heads up, Himachal! The weather department has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain this Saturday in several districts, including Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur, and Shimla.
Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Solan, and Kullu were separately warned for heavy rain on Tuesday (July seven).
Locals are being urged to follow traffic rules and steer clear of low-lying spots and riverbanks. Basically, stay safe out there.
Himachal records 26% above normal rainfall
Rainfall has been intense lately: Guler (Kangra) got 45.6mm since Monday evening; Sarahan and Sundernagar weren't far behind.
Overall, the state saw 26% more rain than usual from July one to seven. Kinnaur really stood out with a massive 161% above-normal rainfall; Lahaul-Spiti had 40% more than average too.
Thunderstorms and lightning have hit places like Shimla and Bhuntar as well, so expect some disruptions to daily life until things settle down.