A prolonged dry spell of eleven consecutive bright and sunny days across the mountain state is coming to an abrupt end as atmospheric conditions shift dramatically. Clear skies dominated during the daytime on Friday, but thin cloud cover began gathering across the valleys as evening approached. Morning and evening hours in Shimla and Manali have already been registering a distinct chill in the air, and intense weather patterns featuring gale-force winds, heavy rainfall, and thunderstorm activity are now taking hold across the region starting Friday night.
Southeastern Districts Face the Brunt of Disturbed Conditions
Official releases from the regional Meteorological Centre indicate that inclement weather will grip Himachal Pradesh from September 26 through September 29. The most significant precipitation is expected across the southeastern parts of the state and surrounding territories, initiating between the evening or night of September 26 and continuing until the morning of September 29. Forecasters have highlighted September 27 as the single most critical day when the meteorological system will exert its greatest intensity on the terrain.
Thunderstorms, Lightning, and Gusty Winds Across Central Belt
Atmospheric assessments show that parts of Sirmaur, Shimla, Solan, Mandi, and Bilaspur districts will experience widespread rain from the late evening of September 26 through September 29 morning. Localised sectors within these districts face considerable threats of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes and severe downpours accompanied by loud thunder. Between September 26 and September 28, Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur are also exposed to brisk surface winds blowing at sustained speeds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour alongside lightning, while similar gusty conditions will extend to Bilaspur, Kangra, Kullu, and Mandi on September 27.
Orange Alert Issued for Sirmaur as Other Areas Remain on Yellow Watch
The severity map issued by meteorologists places Sirmaur under an orange alert for September 27 due to the likelihood of heavy to very heavy localized rainfall. On the same date, a yellow watch remains active for Bilaspur, Mandi, Shimla, and Solan for heavy rain bursts, while Kinnaur is placed under a yellow alert for scattered moderate precipitation. Preceding this peak, Sirmaur will be under a yellow alert for heavy rain on September 26, whereas September 28 will see yellow warnings maintained across Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur.
Moderate Rainfall Projected Across Northern and Tribal Pockets
Other administrative zones, including Una, Hamirpur, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Kinnaur, and the Spiti sub-division within Lahaul and Spiti, are projected to record moderate rain spells across September 27 and September 28. Because the southwest monsoon has not yet concluded its official withdrawal from Himachal Pradesh, this late-season surge is poised to produce vigorous weather before the system completely retreats from northern India.
