IMD says monsoon to persist, Himachal districts under yellow alert
Heads up, Himachal Pradesh!
The India Meteorological Department, or IMD, says the monsoon is sticking around until September 3, bringing heavy rain to several districts.
Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Bilaspur, Solan, and Sirmaur are under a yellow alert today (September 1), with rainfall expected to peak and then ease up by the end of the week.
Himachal authorities warn landslides, rising rivers
With all this rain, the authorities warn about possible landslides and IMD senior scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma warns about rising river levels.
Locals are being told to avoid risky areas and follow safety instructions.
As of August 31, 98 roads were blocked (Mandi and Kullu hit hardest), power outages are affecting 107 Distribution Transformer Regions (DTRs) across the state, with Mandi accounting for 89 of them, and water supply has taken a hit in Hamirpur.
Temperatures have been a bit higher than usual but should cool down as rain continues.