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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) centre in Shimla has again issued a rain warning for Himachal Pradesh, with moderate to heavy rainfall expected to continue in several districts of the state over the next few days.
IMD Senior Scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma on Thursday said, "In the past 24 hours, moderate to heavy rainfall was recorded in some areas of Sirmaur, Kangra, Kullu, and Mandi... Today, light to moderate rainfall is possible in the plains of the state. An alert for heavy rainfall has been issued for several districts... From July 20 to July 23, light to moderate rainfall is expected in most parts of the state." Despite the intense rain spells, the overall seasonal rainfall has been normal so far, with the state recording 12 per cent above-average rainfall. Only Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba have reported slightly below-normal precipitation; the rest of the districts have seen normal to above-normal rainfall. "Even in July, the rainfall levels across Himachal have been largely normal," Sharma added. Temperatures are also hovering near normal, though a slight dip in temperatures is expected around July 20. July 19 is expected to experience generally stable weather, but intermittent rain is anticipated across the state from today (July 17) through July 23. Himachal Pradesh Minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Thursday that the state has suffered over Rs 1,000 crore in damages due to the ongoing monsoon-related disasters, including flash floods, landslides, and heavy rainfall. Speaking to ANI in Shimla, Negi said the scale of the devastation across the state has been unprecedented in the past 28 days. "So far, 109 people have lost their lives, out of which 64 deaths were caused directly due to rain-induced disasters like flash floods and landslides. The remaining fatalities occurred mainly due to road accidents during the same monsoon period," Negi told ANI. Furthermore, the minister warned that the monsoon is far from over, and alerts continue to be issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). "Heavy rain warnings are being issued frequently for various regions. We are on high alert. All our district disaster management teams are activated and fully alert," he emphasised. In a public appeal, Jagat Singh Negi urged residents, saying, "I appeal to people to follow the weather advisories issued by the Meteorological Department. Anyone planning to travel should check alerts before heading to their destination." (ANI)
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