Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh to remain watchful, heavy rain alert

At present, Uttarakhand is witnessing a rain surplus of 3%.Throughout July, on and off moderate showers have been observed over many parts. However, rainfall intensity has increased during the last 24 hours, giving fairly widespread rain over the region.

While Almora recorded 46 mm of rain, Mukteshwar 36 mm, Mussoorie followed closely with 30 mm and Nainital with 15 mm.

The axis of Monsoon trough which is passing through South Uttar Pradesh will now move closer to foothills of the Himalayas in another 24 to 48 hours. Therefore, we expect rain intensity to increase gradually over Uttarakhand and heavy to extremely heavy rains are possible over many districts of the state on July 16 and 17.

During this period, the possibility of flash floods and cloudbursts cannot be ruled out which may disrupt normal life in Uttarakhand. Tourists are advised to avoid visiting the state for at least next 4 to 5 days, as there are chances of landslides over several areas. These occurrences even have the potential of damaging roads and hindering the transport system of the state.

According to Skymet Weather, heavy rain is likely in places such as Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Almora, and Nainital.

Travelers, especially char dham yatris, have been advised to remain watchful of landslide situation in these areas and avoid or postpone their journey for next 72 hours.

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