Heavy rain is set to lash Uttarakhand today, July 2, with the India Meteorological Department flagging nine districts for a serious downpour warning. The southwest monsoon reached most parts of the state on June 30 and is expected to cover all of Uttarakhand within the next two to three days. A strong monsoon system stretching from Punjab to the Bay of Bengal, combined with a fresh western disturbance building over northwest India, is pushing moisture laden winds up to an altitude of roughly 0.9 kilometres above sea level. Together, these two weather systems are expected to keep the monsoon unusually aggressive across the hills and plains from today through July 4, with spells of heavy rainfall likely to continue without a break.
Orange alert for five districts, four more on watch
The weather office has issued a severe warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall for capital Dehradun along with Tehri, Pauri, Nainital and Bageshwar today. An orange alert has specifically been declared for these five districts, and local authorities have been told to stay on high alert. Haridwar, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Chamoli are also expected to see heavy rain in some places, bringing the total number of districts under warning to nine. Travellers and tourists on hill routes have been urged to take extra precautions, since intense rainfall sharply raises the risk of landslides. Plains districts such as Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar are also expected to see strong winds accompanying the rain.
Waterlogging feared in Dehradun after a soggy 24 hours
Dehradun district and its surrounding areas, including Vikas Nagar, Doiwala and Jolly Grant, are set for aggressive weather today. The weather department says very heavy rain is possible in parts of Dehradun, which could lead to waterlogging in several areas of the city. In the past 24 hours, the Drums area of Dehradun recorded 62.0 mm of rain while Mohkampur logged 60.0 mm. Thick dark clouds are expected to hang over the skies again today, with intense spells of thunder and rain likely. Gusty winds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour are also forecast, which could disrupt normal life in the city.
Monsoon fully active from Nainital to Pithoragarh in Kumaon
Nainital, the Kumaon region's best known hill town, along with the nearby plains towns of Haldwani and Kathgodam, will also see a marked change in weather today. The weather department has placed Nainital district in the heavy to very heavy rainfall zone. Besides Nainital, the monsoon is fully active in Bageshwar, Almora, Pithoragarh and Champawat. Over the past 24 hours, Pithoragarh recorded 68.3 mm of rain while Bageshwar's Dangoli area logged a record 98.0 mm. Such heavy rain is expected to bring a sharp drop in temperature, offering people in the plains significant relief from humid heat.
Lightning risk in Haridwar, Roorkee and Udham Singh Nagar
The pilgrim town of Haridwar, along with Roorkee and the Udham Singh Nagar towns of Khatima, Kashipur and Rudrapur, could see lightning and storm like conditions accompanying rain today. Heavy rain is expected in parts of Haridwar and Chamoli, while Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts have been warned of thunder and lightning strikes. Roorkee recorded the highest temperature in the past 24 hours at 35.0 degrees Celsius, but the intense monsoon rain and winds beginning today could bring the maximum temperature down by 4 to 6 degrees Celsius over the next three to four days, offering complete relief from the humid heat.
Heavy rain warning on the Chardham Yatra route too
Meteorologists have also forecast heavy rain today for Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Rudraprayag, the districts that lie along the Chardham Yatra route. These hill districts are expected to see not just rain but also thunder, lightning and extremely intense spells of showers. Light to moderate rain has already been recorded in the past few hours in Joshimath, Karnaprayag, Ukhimath and Rudraprayag. Pilgrims have been advised to check weather updates constantly before continuing their journey, since sudden weather changes and lightning strikes can increase in the mountains at any time.
Five day forecast for Uttarakhand from July 2 to July 7
The weather department's five day bulletin, covering July 2 to July 7, gives little hope of relief from the rain for now.
- July 2: Light to moderate rain is expected at almost all places across the state, with heavy to very heavy rainfall likely in some districts.
- July 3: Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Nainital, Tehri, Pauri, Chamoli and Bageshwar districts will continue to see heavy rain at most places, with lightning and very intense showers likely in the hill districts.
- July 4: Heavy rain is possible in parts of Pauri and Bageshwar districts, while the rest of the state will see light to moderate rain with thunder and showers at many places.
- July 5 to July 7: Light to moderate rain along with thunder showers is expected to continue at many places across almost all districts of Uttarakhand during these three days.
