The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Uttarakhand, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning. The warning pertains to the districts of Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Nainital and Champawat.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh as well over the next four days, the weather department said.
Due to the stormy weather, Uttarakhand has witnessed several incidents including the most recent where seven pilgrims from Gujarat were killed after a bus fell into a gorge. The Badrinath National Highway has also been closed due to a landslide in Chamoli.
In addition, the IMD has warned of heavy rainfall activity in Madhya Pradesh and East Rajasthan over the next day or two due to the formation of a low-pressure area.
East and northeast India will also witness an increase in rainfall activity from Tuesday, August 22, the met department said.
Delhi, on the other hand, may also witness light rain on Monday though high humidity is expected to cause inconvenience to city residents.
The Safdarjung Observatory, the capital's primary weather station, logged a minimum temperature of 28.4 degrees Celsius, two notches above the normal. The maximum temperature is expected to settle around 37 degrees Celsius.
The city may record light rain over the next two days as well, but it won't have a significant impact on the temperatures, an official at the India Meteorological Department said.
Delhi has recorded above-normal rainfall in the last four months and the cumulative precipitation this year so far has already equalled the yearly quota of 774 mm. However, August has recorded a large deficit with the total rainfall this month being 85 percent less than normal.
With agency inputs.
