Shimla, Sept. 4 — Heavy rainfall is set to continue across Himachal Pradesh, with the state meteorological department issuing a yellow alert for Shimla, Kullu, Kinnaur, and Lahaul-Spiti districts on Thursday. Light to moderate rain is expected statewide until September 9, officials said.
The persistent downpour has blocked 1,292 roads, including six National Highways, disrupting traffic and daily life. The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) reported road closures across districts: 294 in Mandi, including NH 03; 226 in Kullu, including NH 305; 216 in Shimla; 204 in Chamba; 91 in Sirmaur; 71 in Solan; 53 in Kangra; 48 in Lahaul-Spiti, including NH 505; 39 in Una; 33 in Bilaspur, including NH 21 and 205; 13 in Kinnaur, including NH 05; and four in Hamirpur.
Power supply has also been severely affected, with 2,909 distribution transformers disrupted across the state. Kullu recorded the highest number of affected transformers at 1,096, followed by Shimla (405), Mandi (404), Sirmaur (307), Solan (304), Chamba (219), Lahaul-Spiti (40), Kangra (23), Kinnaur (7), Una (3), and Hamirpur (1).
Rainfall totals over the past 24 hours show widespread heavy precipitation: Dharampur in Solan received 74.6 mm, Karsog in Mandi 69 mm, Kasauli 67 mm, Naina Devi in Bilaspur 58.6 mm, Bhuntar 55.6 mm, Bilaspur 50.8 mm, Shimla 47 mm, Solan 44.4 mm, Manali 44 mm, Kufri 43.6 mm, Mandi 27.4 mm, Nahan 21.8 mm, Keylong 10 mm, Kalpa 9.8 mm, and Dharamsala 2.4 mm.
Officials have urged residents and travelers to exercise caution and avoid venturing into landslide-prone areas or near swollen rivers. Authorities are monitoring the situation and coordinating with district administrations to clear roads and restore power as quickly as possible.
