IMD predicts gradual increase in rainfall over east and central India

Heavy rainfall is likely to continue over Himachal Pradesh during the next two days and over Uttarakhand and northeast India during the next 4-5 days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday. In the past few days, heavy to extremely heavy rainfall pounded Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, triggering landslides, blocking roads, and damaging houses in both states.

"Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Himachal Pradesh on 15th & 16th; over Uttarakhand during 15th to 19th August 2023," the IMD said in its latest updates released this afternoon. The weather office has issued a yellow alert for the entire state of Uttarakhand till August 19, while some districts of Himachal are expected to witness moderate to heavy rainfall.

Besides these two states, a gradual increase in rainfall activity is likely over east and adjoining central India from Tuesday, the weather office said.  

In the eastern region, fairly widespread to isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Gangetic West Bengal (Aug 15-17), over Jharkhand (15-18), over Andaman & Nicobar Islands on Aug 15 and 16, over Odisha (16-19), over Sub-Himalaya West Bengal and Sikkim on August 16 and 17. 

"Isolated very heavy falls also likely over Odisha on 17th & 18th August," the weather office said. The weather office has issued yellow alerts for several districts of Odisha till August 19.

In the northeastern region, heavy rainfall activity is very likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura till August 19.  

The IMD has also issued rain alerts for the central, west, and southern parts of the country. Fairly widespread to isolated heavy rainfall activity is expected over Chhattisgarh from August 17 to 19, over East Madhya Pradesh, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana on August 19.

Himachal rains: Death toll rises to 52

Heavy rainfall in Himachal caused two deadly landslides at Summerhill and Fagli in Shimla. The death toll in incidents such as landslides, cloudbursts, and house collapse due to heavy rains since Monday has increased to 52, according to the news agency PTI. A Shiv temple had collapsed at Summerhill. The shrine was crowded with devotees, offering prayers when the tragedy struck at around 7:15 am.

The Unesco world heritage Shimla-Kalka railway line was also damaged near Summer Hill after a landslide swept away a 50-meter bridge, leaving a portion of the track hanging in the air. The concrete bridge near Summer Hill, 6 km from Shimla, got completely destroyed, and the heritage track has suffered damage in five or six places and the most affected stretch is between Shimla and Shoghi.

As many as 857 roads were blocked for vehicular traffic and 4,285 transformers and 889 water supply schemes are disrupted in 11 out of 12 districts in the state.

(With inputs from PTI)