Shimla: Himachal Pradesh faced significant disruption on Saturday as 104 roads and three national highways were blocked due to snowfall and rain, as reported by the state emergency operation centre. The data reveals that Lahaul and Spiti were the worst affected, with 99 roads closed, while Kullu, Chamba, and Kangra each reported road blockages on three, one, and one road respectively.
The Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority has reported that heavy rain led to the washing away of a bridge in Kangra. An official statement from the authority indicated that plans are underway for the construction of a new bridge, which is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms with lightning at isolated places on April 22 and 23 in several parts of Himachal Pradesh. The yellow alert indicates severely bad weather spanning several days. It also suggests that the weather could change for the worse, causing disruption in day-to-day activities.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also predicted an above-normal rainfall season across the country during the southwest monsoon.
According to IMD’s forecast released earlier this week, the seasonal June to September rainfall is expected to be above normal, with quantitative estimates indicating it could reach 106 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA). The LPA for the period 1971-2020 stands at 87 cm.
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