Weather: Monsoon active in North and Northeast India for a week; 35 villages in Arunachal hit by floods…

New Delhi. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the monsoon will remain active over Northwest, East, and Northeast India for the next six to seven days. During this period, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in several states, with extremely heavy rainfall in some isolated areas. Conversely, rainfall activity is likely to remain relatively subdued over West-Central and South Peninsular India during the next seven days.

Impact of floods in Arunachal
The flood and landslide situation in Arunachal Pradesh remains critical due to incessant rainfall. Over the past 24 hours, 113,674 people have been affected by floods and landslides across 35 villages in the Giba, Nilling, Chetam, and Daporijo circles of Upper Subansiri district. In Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has been disrupted after debris from a hillside fell between Garbadhar and Tampa Temple on the Tawaghat-Gunji route.

Continuous rain in Himachal Pradesh too
Pilgrims in the fourth batch have been halted at Dharchula due to the disruption in movement; they are scheduled to depart for Gunji from Dharchula on Sunday once the road reopens. Personnel from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) are working to clear the road by removing debris and boulders using JCB machines. Continuous rainfall has also impacted daily life in Himachal Pradesh. In Chamba, the Pathankot-Bharmour National Highway remained closed for several hours on Saturday morning following a landslide near Keru. People were safely rescued from a vehicle trapped in debris on the Chuwari-Bharari route.

Rain expected in Delhi-NCR from tomorrow; temperatures to drop
Weather conditions in Delhi-NCR are set to change over the next four days. According to the Meteorological Department, the sky will remain cloudy on July 19. During this period, light rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds blowing at speeds of 20 to 40 km/h are expected in some areas. However, humid conditions will persist, and the maximum temperature is likely to range between 35 and 38 degrees Celsius.

Rainfall activity is likely to increase from July 20. Light to moderate rain may occur in several areas during the morning and evening hours, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds. As a result, daytime temperatures could drop to between 32 and 34 degrees Celsius. Cloudy skies are expected to prevail on July 21 as well.

*Red Alert in Himachal; Rain Forecast for Punjab Over Next Five Days*
The Meteorological Department has issued a ‘Red Alert’ for Himachal Pradesh, warning of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, landslides, and flash floods over the next two days. Meanwhile, an alert for heavy rain has been issued for Punjab for the five days starting Sunday. The impact is already becoming evident in Pathankot, a border district of Punjab.

*Cloudburst in Sangla; ITBP Camp Guard Post and Temple Washed Away:* A cloudburst in the Sangla Valley of Kinnaur triggered a surge in the Graga Nallah (stream) near Mastrang. This led to the closure of the Sangla-Chitkul road and washed away a guard post and a Maa Durga temple located at the gate of the ITBP camp. Water also entered the barracks. Personnel had already evacuated the ITBP guard post after hearing rumbling sounds from the mountain and noticing the rising water levels in the stream.

*Relief: Battery Car Route in Katra Reopens After 10 Hours*
Due to intermittent rain in Katra on Friday night, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board administration had preemptively closed the battery car route around 9 PM to ensure the safety of pilgrims. The route was reopened for pilgrims around 7 AM on Saturday. Travelers breathed a sigh of relief as the route reopened after a 10-hour closure.

Clouds hovered over Trikuta Mountain throughout the day on Saturday, continuously disrupting helicopter services for pilgrims traveling from Katra. Due to the suspension of helicopter services, pilgrims continued to head towards the shrine on foot or by using horses, pithus (porters), and palanquins. By 5 PM on Saturday, approximately 23,000 pilgrims had registered and set out for the shrine.