Himachal Pradesh schools, colleges closed till September 7
What's the story
The Himachal Pradesh government has announced the closure of all schools and colleges till September 7. The decision was taken by the state education department in view of the heavy rainfall across the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Himachal Pradesh, predicting moderate to heavy rainfall in the next three hours. The warning also includes the possibility of flash floods, landslides, and waterlogging.
Weather warning
Red alert issued for Himachal Pradesh
Districts such as Mandi, Una, Bilaspur, Sirmaur, and Solan are particularly under threat from these weather conditions. The IMD has also issued alerts for Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, northern Punjab and Haryana, eastern Rajasthan, southwest Uttar Pradesh, northwest and eastern Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha. The nowcast predicts intense spells of rain in these regions. In Jammu and Kashmir, red alerts have been issued for Poonch, Mirpur, Rajouri, Reasi, Jammu, Ramban, Udhampur, Samba, Kathua, Doda, and Kishtwar.
Delhi deluge
Over 1,000mm rainfall in Delhi this season
Meanwhile, Delhi has recorded over 1,000mm of rainfall for the season as intermittent rains continue to lash the national capital. The city had already crossed its annual average rainfall mark of 774mm last month. According to IMD data, Safdarjung recorded 16mm of rainfall till Tuesday evening, while other weather stations recorded higher amounts.
Flights
Flights affected
The rain continued on Wednesday, impacting flight operations at the Delhi airport. According to the Flightradar24 website, up to 273 departures and 73 arrivals faced delays until 5:00pm. Furthermore, more than 7,500 people were evacuated from low-lying, flood-prone regions after the Yamuna River reached 207.19 meters at the Old Railway Bridge at 4:00pm. The displaced people have been moved to 25 relief camps set up across the city for shelter and assistance.