Himachal Pradesh weather: Yellow alert in 4 districts, wet spell till August 27

The local MeT office on Friday issued a yellow alert for moderate rain in four districts of Himachal Pradesh for Saturday and predicted a wet spell in the state till August 27.

The alert has been issued for Bilaspur, Chamba, Kangra and Mandi districts.

As of Friday morning, 128 roads were closed for vehicular traffic in the state, while 18 transformers and 52 drinking water supply schemes were also disrupted, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.

Mandi reported the highest number of road blockages at 52, followed by Kullu (43), Chamba (9), Kangra and Sirmaur (6 each), Shimla and Una (5 each) and Lahaul-Spiti (2).

Parts of the state witnessed light rain since Thursday evening, with Nahan receiving 13.8 mm followed by Paonta (12 mm), Olinda (9.6 mm), Baggi (6.8 mm), Dhaulakuan (5.5 mm) and Raipur Maidan (5 mm).

The state has received 168.2 mm of rainfall against a normal of 193.4 mm between August 1 and 21, a deficit of 13 per cent.

Since the onset of monsoon on June 30, more than 88 people have died in rain-related incidents, with the state suffering losses amounting to Rs 1,108 crore, officials said.