The sun broke through over large stretches of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, and weather officials say the state is now edging toward the final phase of this year's monsoon, even though the season is leaving behind a toll of hundreds of lives and thousands of crores in damage.
What the coming week looks like
Shobhit Katiyar, director of the Meteorological Centre in Shimla, said monsoon activity is likely to stay weak across most of the state for the next three to four days. The weather office expects mostly clear skies over the coming week, although isolated pockets could still see light showers, with no major shift in conditions anticipated during this stretch. A modest pickup in rain activity is possible after September 11, but forecasters do not expect heavy or very heavy spells even then.
What the rain gauges showed overnight
A bulletin issued by the weather department at 10 am on Tuesday showed that the heaviest rainfall in the preceding 12 hours fell at Jaitu Barrage in Sirmaur district, which logged 56.2 mm. Pachhad came next with 48.2 mm, while Murari Devi in Mandi recorded 46.0 mm. The rest of the readings were far lighter: Dhaulakuan in Sirmaur got 33.5 mm, Kotkhai in Shimla district 19.3 mm, Shimla town itself just 3.8 mm, Kalpa in Kinnaur 2.8 mm, Kangra 2.6 mm, Sarahan in Shimla district 2.3 mm, and Manali in Kullu only 2.0 mm. The spread shows how patchy rainfall has become as the season winds down, with the wetter pockets now largely confined to Sirmaur and Mandi.
No weather alert has been issued for the state for the next five to seven days. A slight uptick in rain activity is expected on September 12 and 13, though the chances of heavy downpours during that window remain low.
A monsoon that has actually underperformed
Despite the destruction reported through the summer, Himachal Pradesh has received below-normal rainfall this monsoon overall, according to Katiyar. The state should typically log around 648 mm of rain by this stage of the season; the actual tally so far stands at roughly 588 mm, leaving the state short of its usual mark. September is expected to stay drier than average across most districts too, though a few pockets, including parts of Kangra, the adjoining areas of Chamba, and sections of Mandi, could see above-normal rainfall this month.
When the monsoon will finally pull out
Himachal Pradesh typically sees the monsoon withdraw around September 25 each year, and this year's exit is also expected to land close to that usual date, Katiyar said. He added that a precise withdrawal date can only be pinned down four to five days in advance, once patterns firm up closer to the time.
The human cost: 283 dead, hundreds hurt
The bigger story this season is the damage already on record. A report from the State Emergency Operation Centre, updated to September 7, 2026, puts the monsoon death toll at 283, with 505 people injured and three still missing, covering the period from June 30 to September 7. That works out to more than three deaths a day on average since the season began. Of the total deaths, 169 occurred in road accidents. The disaster has also claimed 468 animals and birds over the same period.
Homes and public infrastructure take a hit too
Housing losses have been extensive as well. The report records 38 pucca (permanent) and 85 kutcha (semi-permanent) houses as fully destroyed, while a further 153 pucca and 342 kutcha houses suffered partial damage, meaning 123 homes have been wiped out completely and another 495 damaged in part. On the public infrastructure front, the state has tallied losses worth ₹1,423.09 crore, spread across departments including Public Works, Jal Shakti, power, education and fisheries, among others. The entire tally covers the same June 30 to September 7, 2026 window tracked by the emergency centre.
