Landslides,flash floods close 362 Himachal roads;orange alert

Heavy rains over the past few days have triggered multiple cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides across Himachal Pradesh, forcing the closure of 362 roads to vehicular traffic, officials said on Saturday.According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Mandi district accounted for the highest number of road blockages, with 220 routes shut, followed by 91 in neighbouring Kullu district.
According to information,the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Shimla centre has issued a yellow warning for heavy rain, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places on Sunday. An orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain has been issued for two to four districts between Monday and Wednesday.Light to moderate showers were recorded in parts of the state on Saturday. Naina Devi received the highest rainfall at 112.4 mm, followed by Pandoh (102 mm), Raipur Maidan (74.6 mm), Pachhad (67 mm), Narkanda (66.5 mm), Kufri (65.7 mm), Kasauli (65.5 mm), Nahan (49.3 mm), and Solan (45.6 mm). Thunderstorms hit Sundernagar, Murari Devi, Kangra, Bhuntar, Shimla, Jubbarhatti, and Jot, while Seobagh and Dhaulakuan experienced gusty winds reaching 46–50 kmph.
Since the start of the monsoon on June 20, rain-related incidents have claimed 112 lives in Himachal Pradesh, with 37 people still missing. The SEOC reported that 704 transformers and 178 water supply schemes have also been impacted.The state has suffered estimated losses of Rs1,988 crore this monsoon season, which has so far brought 58 flash floods, 30 cloudbursts, and 53 major landslides. Rainfall between June 1 and August 9 totalled 503 mm, about 13% above the normal 445.7 mm for the period, according to the IMD.Officials have urged residents and tourists to remain cautious, especially in landslide-prone areas, as heavy rainfall is expected to continue in the coming days.